The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has predicted that the Social Democratic Party will surpass the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party in strength ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, despite its growing influence, he foresees the party failing against President Bola Tinubu due to self-interest among its members.
In a statement released on Monday by his Media Aide, Oluwatosin Osho, Primate Ayodele cautioned that the influx of politicians into the SDP could weaken its chances if personal ambitions overshadow the collective goal of challenging the ruling party.
He warned the party leadership to be vigilant in selecting candidates, emphasizing that poor choices could lead to its downfall.
“SDP will be stronger than PDP and Labour. It will be the party to watch, but greed will make the party fail in 2027. Those who will be decamping there will not be focused on winning power but on enriching themselves.
“The party must be careful because of the large number of people joining, and they must be watchful not to give tickets to failures. They must ensure that sentiment and emotions do not influence their selection process,” he said.
Speaking on the 2027 presidential elections, Primate Ayodele asserted that defeating President Tinubu would not be an easy task.
He stressed that relying on a simple coalition among opposition parties would not be enough, advocating instead for a solid alliance with a new political structure.
“The issue of the 2027 presidency cannot be addressed through a mere coalition; it won’t be about just one party but rather a strong alliance. Coalitions can break, but alliances cannot. A coalition may not last or deliver the desired outcome, but a solid alliance can.
“Defeating Tinubu is not a joke; he is very strong, and it will not be easy. Following the usual political party approach will not achieve anything. A new alliance must be formed under a new name, and if this is successfully done, victory will be possible,” he explained.
Additionally, he warned opposition parties against depending on governors to drive the alliance, stating that many would betray the cause.
Instead, he urged that the alliance be built around the people, highlighting certain governors who would not participate.
“I also want to warn them not to depend on governors, as they will betray any coalition they try to form. They should build this alliance around the people because some governors are already out of it.
“Some governors, like Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, and others that I will mention later, will not be part of the alliance,” he added.
Primate Ayodele’s remarks come amid reports of political realignments, including efforts by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and former PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to forge a coalition ahead of the next general elections.
