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2027: SDP Pledges to Rebuild, Transform Nigeria If Elected
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has pledged to rebuild and transform Nigeria if elected into power in the 2027 general elections.
The party said it would prioritise the welfare and security of Nigerians while addressing the country’s socio-economic challenges and insecurity.
The National Chairman of the SDP, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, made the commitment on Friday when he received a delegation of the Confederation of West Africa Youth at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Gombe, who was represented by the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, said the SDP’s ideology was rooted in Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines the fundamental objectives of government, including the welfare and security of citizens.
He said the increasing interest of young Nigerians in the SDP suggested that the party’s political message was gaining attention ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, Nigeria had reached a stage where comprehensive efforts were required to address the challenges facing the country.
“The SDP is a party that has its ideology threaded. This ideology is based on Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which talks about provision for the welfare and security of Nigerians. That is what guides the policies of this party,” he said.
Gombe said the party’s recently unveiled manifesto contained what he described as a comprehensive programme for transforming the country.
“So I find it interesting that many Nigerian youths are taking interest in the party. It means that the message we are sending is getting through to the people.
“This country has derailed to a situation where we need to rebuild. And if you look at our message and the manifesto that was presented to the public last week, you will see a comprehensive programme for the transformation of this country.
“We cannot continue drifting. The SDP wants to put this country back on track,” he added.
He also expressed confidence in the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, describing him as determined and prepared to lead the country.
“Fortunately, we have a presidential candidate who knows his onions, determined, young and ready to turn things around. So, we want to do something different that will lead to the liberation of this country if we come to power,” Gombe said.
Adebayo Tasks SDP Supporters On Grassroots Mobilisation
Also speaking during the meeting, the SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, urged party members and supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adebayo said political influence was ultimately determined at the community level, stressing that national visibility and public speaking skills would not necessarily translate into electoral support without effective engagement with voters.
He noted that Nigeria had 176,846 polling units and urged SDP members to focus their efforts on reaching voters in their respective communities.
“Politics is done in the neighbourhoods. We have 176,846 polling units across the country. Any amount of command of English you have that does not convince your neighbour about how they are going to vote is wasted,” Adebayo said.
He further argued that political influence outside a candidate’s immediate community would have limited electoral impact if it could not translate into support at the local level.
“Any influence you have from Timbuktu to Accra that cannot influence how people vote in the community where you come from, that influence is academic. So we must go back,” he said.
According to Adebayo, political participation requires commitment to the country and a clear vision for the future.
“Politics is not a game of the mouth. It’s a game of the heart because the burden of politics is not easy. It is the love of your country and the vision of the future that will make you last long in politics,” he added.
Youth Group Calls For New Political Direction
The Regional President of the Confederation of West Africa Youth, Israel Akinola, also called for a new political direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
Akinola said Nigerians needed to critically consider the country’s development trajectory and work towards a political system capable of delivering sustainable development.
He also urged stakeholders in both the public and private sectors to collaborate through public-private partnerships to accelerate development.
The youth leader further criticised the practice of celebrating governments for providing basic public services, arguing that such services should be regarded as fundamental rights of citizens.
The engagement comes as political parties and aspirants intensify preparations, mobilisation and policy messaging ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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Social Caption: The Social Democratic Party has pledged to rebuild and transform Nigeria if elected in the 2027 general elections, while presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo urged supporters to focus on grassroots mobilisation.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has rescued two people after a speedboat sank along the Ibaka waterways in Mbo Local Government Area of the state.

The incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. on Thursday when a blue W23 speedboat marked “LET’S PRAY” sank while travelling from Oron to Cameroon with goods onboard.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Uyo.

According to the police, preliminary investigations indicated that the boat driver, identified as Mr Daniel, was attempting to adjust the vessel’s seacock to drain accumulated water when the situation escalated.

John said waves generated by a passing boat reportedly destabilised the vessel, causing it to take in more water before it eventually sank.

The driver and his conductor, identified as Mr Kani, were rescued by personnel of the Marine Police Operational and Surveillance Patrol Team, who were conducting patrol operations along the waterways at the time of the incident.

The prompt intervention of the marine officers prevented what could have resulted in loss of lives, according to the police command.

The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, commended the Marine Police personnel for their swift response and dedication to protecting lives and property on the state’s waterways.

Azare also urged boat operators and passengers to observe basic safety measures while travelling on the waterways.

He advised operators to ensure that their vessels are seaworthy before embarking on trips and warned against overloading boats.

The police commissioner further stressed the importance of providing and wearing life jackets for all passengers and crew members onboard.

He also urged maritime users to exercise greater caution when navigating areas with heavy marine traffic, noting that the movement of other vessels can create waves capable of destabilising smaller boats.

The Akwa Ibom Police Command said it would continue to strengthen patrols and surveillance operations across the state’s waterways in collaboration with other security agencies.

The command said the measures were aimed at enhancing the safety of maritime users and protecting lives and property.

The incident comes amid concerns over boat accidents in different parts of Nigeria, particularly in communities where waterways are an important means of transportation.

In August, several residents of Gorau community in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State reportedly lost their lives in a boat accident.

A preliminary account from a resident indicated that the Sokoto incident occurred when a boat carrying about 40 passengers, including men, women and children, capsized.

The latest incident in Akwa Ibom, however, ended without reported fatalities after the Marine Police patrol team reached the affected vessel and rescued the two occupants.

The Federal Government has announced plans to convene the National Youth Confab in October 2026, nearly two years after President Bola Tinubu first pledged to organise the gathering.

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this on Thursday while addressing State House correspondents during the ‘Meet the Press’ session organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Olawande said the conference would provide a platform for young Nigerians to participate actively in discussions on the country’s future and develop practical solutions to national challenges.

According to him, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, in collaboration with youth networks and other stakeholders, will convene the conference under the theme, “Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future.”

He explained that the theme was designed to move young Nigerians beyond participation in national conversations to taking an active role in developing solutions and shaping the country’s future.

“It is not another youth conference where speeches are delivered, reports are produced, and nothing changes,” Olawande said, stressing that the initiative would focus on moving from discussions to concrete action.

The minister said the Confab would last two weeks and consist of a virtual consultation phase followed by a physical conference in Abuja.

He disclosed that the physical gathering would bring together one delegate from each of the 360 federal constituencies, alongside six delegates representing Nigerians in the diaspora.

The discussions, he added, would be structured around six key pillars covering governance, the economy, education, technology, climate and security.

FG outlines plan to implement recommendations
Olawande said the government had designed an implementation framework to prevent the recommendations of the youth confab from suffering the fate of those produced by the 2014 National Conference.

The 2014 conference produced more than 600 recommendations, many of which were not implemented after a change in administration in 2015.

Addressing concerns about a possible repeat of that experience, Olawande said members of the current administration who participated in the 2014 conference understood the shortcomings of the previous process.

He said the recommendations from the 2026 Confab would be divided according to the responsibilities of the three arms of government.

“We have the executive. We have the legislative… After the conference, we are going to sit down, have our task force, and put everything into three sections: what should be handled by the judiciary, what by the executive, and what by the legislature,” he said.

The minister said the government would seek Federal Executive Council resolutions on recommendations within the executive’s jurisdiction, while proposals requiring legislative action would be forwarded to the National Assembly.

He added that the judiciary would also be expected to act on recommendations falling within its constitutional responsibilities.

Olawande said the implementation process would begin from November, insisting that the government was determined to move beyond producing reports.

“Enough of documentation. We are not going back to filing reports,” he added.

Government addresses concerns over delay
The announcement comes about two years after Tinubu first pledged the initiative during his October 2024 Independence Day broadcast.

The delay has raised questions about the timing of the conference, particularly with the 2027 general elections approaching.

Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Segun Dada, defended the period spent preparing for the initiative, saying the government had studied previous conferences to identify shortcomings and develop a more effective framework.

“What we did was look at the past confabs, the mistakes that were made, and how to ensure we don’t repeat them,” Dada said.

He also pointed to the involvement of young people in the current administration and the President’s appointment of a young Minister of Youth Development as part of the government’s approach.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, Otega Ogra, similarly defended the timeline, saying several youth-focused programmes had been implemented while preparations for the Confab were ongoing.

Ogra cited the revamp of the National Youth Service Corps, increased participation in the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, employment initiatives through MSME centres, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme, and the 3 Million Technical Talent programme.

Delegate selection
Olawande also addressed concerns that the selection of delegates could be influenced by political interests ahead of the 2027 elections.

He maintained that the structure of the Confab was designed to minimise monetary and political influence in the selection process.

The government said the broad representation from the 360 federal constituencies was intended to ensure that young Nigerians from different parts of the country participate in shaping the conference’s agenda and recommendations.

The latest announcement follows an earlier attempt to organise the exercise in 2025.

On June 16, 2025, Olawande launched a Youth Confab registration portal under the same theme, with plans to accommodate 36,000 participants from the 360 federal constituencies.

The registration deadline was subsequently extended from June 30 to July 14, 2025, to allow for wider grassroots participation.

With the new October 2026 timeline, the Federal Government is now expected to commence the final stages of mobilisation, consultation and delegate selection ahead of the physical conference in Abuja.