A lawyer and founder of KAFTAN Television, Prince Adewole Adebayo has emerged the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for the 2023 presidential election at the party’s national convention which held on Wednesday in Abuja.
Adebayo scored 1,526 votes, defeating the only co-contestant, Ms. Khadija Lamidi, who polled 83 votes. The Convention Returning Officer, Umar Ardo who announced the results put the total votes cast at 1,653; valid votes were 1,609 while invalid votes were 44.
Adebayo in his acceptance speech, said, “It is the turn of Nigerian masses to take over power in 2023.
“It is the turn of the citizens without food, those who graduated without work or hindered from graduating because of the strike to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“The SDP would give the ruling party All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party a ‘good fight’ in the 2023 general elections.
“We will campaign to every household, every polling unit, every ward, every local government, every state, every zone and the entire country.
“We will come out and show to Nigerians that food, water, electricity, housing, education and medical care are not prayer points.”
He urged Nigerians “to join the SDP, register with INEC to vote, open their minds, tell others about SDP and vote out bad leaders in 2023.”
Adebayo also thanked the other aspirants who contested the position with him, the SDP delegates for not going for money bags politicians or those who want to perpetually remain in power.
“The SDP demonstrated that a party could conduct credible convention and that politicians could subdue their personal interest for the national interest,” he added.
The SDP National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, while encouraging those who participated in the election to be part of the campaign said, “The party would change the face and character of governance in Nigeria, if given a chance to rule in 2023.
“The party considered it expedient to present itself to Nigerians as a veritable alternative, advocating a new initiative in the administration of the country.”
He added that it was time for the country to get it right in 2023 general elections.
