2027: Afenifere, ACF, Northern Elders Forum endorse SDP
By Henry Nnaemeka
Three of Nigeria’s most influential socio-political groups—Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum and Northern Elders Forum—have endorsed the Social Democratic Party (SDP), signalling a rare alignment of northern and southern interests ahead of the polls.
The endorsement, announced at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Ilesha, Osun State, drew political actors and opinion leaders from across the country, including delegates from all 19 northern states and members of the Conference of SDP State Chairmen, in what observers describe as one of the earliest major realignments ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.
Addressing the gathering, SDP National Leader, Adewole Adebayo, framed the development as a unifying national moment, insisting that the coalition of regional blocs possesses the capacity to confront Nigeria’s deepening governance and economic challenges.
“The people present at this meeting can solve the problem of Nigeria,” he said, pledging that the party would pursue power through democratic means. “We will get power through the ballot—we will not snatch it or grab it. We will get it from the people and establish a responsible government.”
The meeting drew a mix of traditional, political and civic leaders, underlining what insiders describe as a deliberate attempt to build a broad-based national platform that cuts across regional and ideological lines.
Analysts say the alignment of groups with historic influence in both the North and the South-West points to an emerging political recalibration that could challenge the dominance of established parties, particularly if the coalition translates its symbolic backing into grassroots mobilisation.
With momentum gradually building ahead of 2027, the endorsement is likely to intensify conversations around alternative political platforms and test the strength of Nigeria’s evolving opposition landscape.
