Dr Adewole Adebayo, former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has called for a revival of Nigeria's original governance ideals, advocating a shift from transactional politics to a system rooted in equity and public service. Speaking on Wednesday in Osun during a meeting with leaders of Afenifere, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and other groups, Adebayo emphasized that Nigeria was founded as a negotiated federation through the Lancaster House constitutional talks. He pointed to early political parties like the Action Group, Unity Party of Nigeria, and People's Redemption Party as examples of movements focused on inclusive development.
\nAdebayo attributed the erosion of these values to military intervention, which he said distorted Nigeria's political culture. "What we have practised since then are politics influenced by military rule or post-military habits," he said. He described the gathering as an effort to rebuild a national philosophy based on social democracy and to clarify the social contract between leaders and citizens. "We want to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of Nigerians through a government that is different from recent experiences," he added. The initiative, he stressed, is not tied to any single party or group but aims to restore foundational principles championed by leaders like Obafemi Awolowo and Aminu Kano.
\nAdebayo's appeal for idealism sounds noble, but decades of political reinvention have left little room for nostalgia to reshape power structures. His reference to Awolowo and Kano's eras highlights a disconnect—those systems operated in a Nigeria without today's entrenched patronage networks. No coalition of elders or manifestos on social democracy will alter the current calculus of power unless they confront how money and force now define elections. For ordinary Nigerians, the real test is whether such conversations ever translate beyond elite conclaves.
