The Social Democratic Party has condemned the Federal High Court judgment that nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, led by former Senate President David Mark, describing the decision as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

The party also rejected the rainbow coalition being promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress of attempting to infiltrate opposition parties and weaken their structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The SDP National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, stated these positions on Thursday during an engagement between the party’s National Working Committee and its governorship candidates from nine states.

Gombe said the party would resist any action that undermines democracy and denies Nigerians the opportunity to freely choose their leaders.

He said, “We condemn the so-called disqualification of the ADC leadership and presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. This is a democracy. We want Nigerians to be allowed to freely exercise their franchise.

“If a political party present a candidate, it has the right to do that. We will not allow anything that will truncate our democracy because we have come a long way in this journey.”

The SDP chairman argued that President Bola Tinubu also emerged as the APC presidential candidate in 2023 despite opposition to his ambition from within the party and the then President Muhammadu Buhari’s camp.

He said, “The president and the party in power are equally a product of democracy. In fact, he (Tinubu) emerged as president after being an opposition member, even within his own party in 2023.

“He was an opposition member within his party because the president at the time and the party were against his emergence. Yet he was able to emerge as the presidential candidate and eventually the President.

The SDP’s position followed Thursday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the leadership of the ADC under Mark and invalidated decisions taken by the party’s caretaker leadership, including the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Justice Peter Lifu held that the Mark-led Caretaker Committee, which conducted the presidential primary that produced Atiku, was illegally constituted.

On the growing call for a rainbow coalition by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Gombe warned that it was an attempt to exploit political disagreements and infiltrate opposition parties to weaken their chances in the 2027 elections.

He said, “Now, they are going round trying to find how to infiltrate some political parties to cajole their members into a so-called rainbow coalition to break our ranks.

“I want to assure you that in the SDP, as a political party, we don’t have anything to do with a rainbow coalition.”

The national chairman warned that members who participated in the alleged rainbow coalition would face disciplinary action.

According to him, opposition parties are considering pooling their polling agents, conducting joint training and establishing common situation rooms to monitor the conduct of the elections.

The meeting was organised to enable the party’s leadership and governorship candidates to assess their preparedness and develop strategies ahead of the 2027 elections.

The SDP National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, said Thursday’s engagement was the first batch of consultations, with other candidates expected to participate in subsequent meetings.

Those in attendance included the Nasarawa State governorship candidate and Chairman of the SDP Governors’ Forum, Mohammed Adamu; Mogaji Agboola of Oyo State; Prof. S.ebastine Tar of Benue State; Mohammed Mohammed of Niger State; Christopher Nathaniel of Adamawa State; Dr Simple Dafup of Plateau State; Ibrahim Bushira of Kano State; Adam Ma’aji of Gombe State; and Ayuba Katagun of Bauchi State.

Adamu, a former Inspector-General of Police, said the meeting focused on strategies for winning elections at the presidential, governorship and state assembly levels.

He said the candidates shared experiences from their respective states and identified gaps that could be exploited by the ruling party.

Adamu said, “But we know that Nigerians are tired of the APC and need change. The only alternative is the SDP because it has the interest of the masses at heart. We also plan to elevate their living conditions so everybody gets what they need to get. It is the neglect of the masses that is causing so many problems in the country.”