SDP promises to reduce petrol price to N200, calls for ‘new hands’

…Kwara chairman says party will approach governance differently, rejects politics of ‘big names’

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kwara State has promised to pursue a reduction in petrol prices to N200 per litre if elected in the 2027 general elections, while calling on voters to consider what it described as a new political direction.

The state chairman of the party, Alhaji Sharafdeen Ibrahim, made the declaration on Wednesday during the commissioning of the party’s newly built secretariat along Fate-Basin Road, Ilorin.

Ibrahim said the party’s manifesto was anchored on productivity, security and good governance, adding that its policies were based on the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy contained in Chapter Two of the Nigerian Constitution.

“We are talking about having the price of fuel reduced to ₦200 per litre, and we are able to defend that,” Ibrahim said.

He argued that Nigeria, as a crude oil-producing country, should develop policies capable of reducing the burden of fuel costs on citizens.

Ibrahim criticised the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, saying it had contributed to higher petrol prices and reduced the purchasing power of Nigerians.

He argued that adequate measures should have been introduced to cushion the impact of the policy before its implementation.

The SDP chairman also criticised the government’s agricultural policies, claiming that farmers were facing rising production costs and inadequate support for fertiliser, machinery and other inputs.

He said the party was relying on ordinary voters rather than established political structures and urged Nigerians to pay greater attention to the policies and performance of political parties.

“The era of parading big names in politics, I think, should be over by now because we’ve tested the big parties and we’ve tested their performance,” he said.

Ibrahim called on Kwarans and Nigerians to consider what he described as a need for “new hands” in government in 2027.

He said the SDP was positioning itself as a party for workers, market traders, artisans and others affected by the country’s economic difficulties.

“We are hoping that Nigeria, especially Kwara, will have a rethink. Our party is for the masses, market women, artisans and these people I’ve just mentioned,” Ibrahim said.

The commissioning was attended by the SDP’s 2027 presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, his running mate, Usman Magaji, the party’s Kwara governorship candidate, Dr Ridwan Akin, his running mate, Barrister Funsho Taofeeq, and other candidates and party leaders.

Ibrahim said the new secretariat was part of efforts to strengthen the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 elections and position it to compete for elective offices across Kwara State.