The Social Democratic Party, SDP, says it has resisted attempts to hijack its structure and is positioning itself as a credible opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
National Secretary Dr. Olu Agunloye made the statement while presenting the State of the Party address at the SDP 2026 National Convention.
He said the party had undergone major reforms over the last four years to reclaim its ideological base and return control to its original members.
He added:“Our party has been brought back to its original owners,” Agunloye told delegates. “It has been restored as a public institution for the Nigerian people.”
He described the SDP as one of Nigeria’s oldest surviving parties, rooted in social justice and equity. He said the party had updated its constitution in 2018 and 2022 to strengthen internal democracy and carried out “internal cleansing” to enforce discipline.
He lauded the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee for resisting pressure from what he called “self-serving politicians and agents of coalition” who opposed the reforms.
Commenting on electoral performance, he said the SDP won two senatorial seats, two House of Representatives seats, eight state assembly seats, two local government chairmanship positions, and eight councillorship seats in the last four years.
He also mentioned legal victories against INEC over alleged interference, including a case where the commission was fined ₦2 million.
The party, he added, is establishing model secretariat offices nationwide and plans to contest all elective positions in 2027, including the presidency.
He added: “The horse is galloping and is on its way to national recognition,” Agunloye said. “At any moment from now, the SDP will show itself as perhaps the most credible political party and a strong member of the opposition.”
