As Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has called for an urgent paradigm shift in the country’s governance model, urging a move away from tokenism, high-profile policy announcements, and mandate-preservation sloganeering toward genuine human security and sustainable development.
In an official press statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the party acknowledged the country’s post-independence journey, noting that despite successive leadership failures, internal paradoxes, and national contradictions, Nigerians have remained united through shared resilience and hope.
The opposition party observed that while Nigeria remains abundantly blessed with human resources and extraordinary potential, it has underwhelmingly performed in translating those assets into national greatness. It argued that current economic recovery figures and praised reforms leave a glaring disconnect between celebrated government milestones and the daily socio-economic realities of ordinary citizens.
To achieve meaningful growth, the SDP urged the Federal Government to transition from a palliative-driven economy reliant on short-term emergency reliefs, cash transfers, grain distributions, and foreign borrowing to a robust, production-centered economic framework. The party warned against continuing what it described as an unsustainable regime of subsidizing corruption with borrowed funds, rent-seeking, and heavy reliance on external financial institutions.
The statement emphasized the need to revamp the national economy by expanding local manufacturing, revitalizing local livelihoods, ensuring fair resource distribution, and tackling endemic poverty in practical terms. It underscored targeted re-investment in critical sectors, including agriculture value chains, energy, transport, and small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), alongside judicial reforms to restore public trust in the rule of law and guarantee unhindered law enforcement.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the party presented its political platform as a reliable alternative capable of moving the nation from reactive crisis management to impactful, systemic policy interventions. The SDP declared that its presidential ticket, featuring Prince Adewole Adebayo and Dr. Usman Bugaje, offers the vision needed to dismantle the paradox of Nigeria being a rich nation populated by poor people, promising instead a society anchored on social inclusion, youth empowerment, and shared prosperity.
