The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has said neither he nor President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must necessarily win the 2027 presidential election, stressing that Nigeria should be the ultimate winner.

Adebayo made the remarks on Thursday during an Iftar gathering attended by SDP leaders and other opposition figures in Abuja.

He expressed concern over comments made by Tinubu during an Iftar hosted at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, saying political leaders must remember that ultimate power rests with God.

According to him, the position presented to the president by the delegation of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) reflects the stance of the SDP and himself.

Adebayo disagreed with the suggestion that Nigerians could simply choose whether or not to participate in elections.

He argued that the country’s constitution obliges leaders to encourage citizens to participate actively in the democratic process.

“The president has a duty, just as I have a duty, to ensure Nigerians are motivated to vote and participate in the democratic process,” he said.

He added that the 2027 general election should record one of the highest voter participation rates in Nigeria’s history, given the critical state of the nation.

“I will plead with President Tinubu: he doesn’t have to win the election, just as I don’t have to win. The only entity that must win is Nigeria,” Adebayo stated.

He cautioned against any mindset where those in power attempt to manipulate electoral laws or processes to favor themselves because they hold a majority.

Adebayo urged the president to reflect during the holy month of Ramadan and ensure that Nigerians ultimately determine the winner of the next election.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the SDP, Sadiq Umar Gombe, said the responsibility lies with the government to listen to citizens and create transparent electoral laws that guarantee free, fair, and credible elections capable of delivering good governance.

Also speaking, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Yusuf Dantalle, called on Tinubu to amend the recently assented electoral laws to promote inclusive democracy.

Earlier, in a statement by Idris Adamu, secretary of the SDP State Chairmen Forum led by Femi Olaniyi Ferrari, the group hailed Gombe on his emergence as the party’s national chairman following his victory at the Supreme Court.