Police Disrupt SDP Screening Amid Tension Over 2027 Elections

On Thursday, during a presidential screening exercise for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), police forces besieged the party headquarters, creating panic among officials. Former SDP presidential candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo alleged that the police intervention was part of a coordinated attempt to disrupt the party's nomination process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Adebayo accused the federal government of trying to impose a candidate on the party and claimed that loyalists of the current president were behind the operation to destabilize the SDP's internal processes. The police reportedly stormed the premises early Thursday, leading to the expulsion of national chairman Shehu Gabam and other officials.

Adebayo's visit to the secretariat coincided with the nomination screening exercise, raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free and fair election in 2027, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming national convention scheduled for May 9, 2026, in Bauchi State.