Police Storms SDP Secretariat After Adebayo’s Screening, Raises Fresh Tension Over 2027 Presidential Race

There was tension at the national headquarters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Thursday after security operatives reportedly stormed the party secretariat shortly after the presidential screening exercise of former SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo.

The development has stirred concerns within the opposition party, with Adebayo alleging that the operation was part of a calculated attempt to disrupt the party’s internal democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to sources within the party, Adebayo had visited the SDP national secretariat for his presidential nomination screening exercise when policemen allegedly invaded the premises in the early hours of Thursday, causing commotion among party officials, supporters and staff members present at the secretariat.

Witnesses said the sudden arrival of security operatives created confusion within the premises as party members struggled to understand the reason behind the operation.

Reacting to the incident, Adebayo accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of attempting to impose what he described as “one-man rule” on Nigeria, alleging that forces loyal to the presidency were behind the action at the SDP headquarters.

The former presidential candidate claimed that the move was specifically designed to frustrate his ambition of emerging as the SDP presidential flagbearer for the 2027 election.

“President Tinubu the autocrat has sent his goons to invade the SDP National Secretariat a day after I completed my presidential primary election screening,” Adebayo said.

“Tinubu wants one-man rule in Nigeria. We will defeat him. It is cowardly and not presidential for the President to be afraid of competition.”

Adebayo further alleged that there were ongoing efforts to destabilise the party and interfere with its nomination process.

The SDP chieftain specifically mentioned James Faleke and Joash Amupitan as individuals he claimed had perfected plans to undermine the party’s internal processes and stop his emergence as the party’s presidential candidate.

According to him, the alleged interference represents a dangerous threat to democracy and opposition politics in Nigeria.

In a video obtained by Afrika Eyes that the atmosphere around the SDP secretariat became tense following the arrival of the security operatives, with some supporters expressing fears that the development could be linked to the growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued any official statement regarding the alleged invasion of the SDP headquarters or the purpose of the deployment of officers to the premises.