The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Wednesday appointed Yunusa Tanko, a former spokesman for Peter Obi and ex-national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, as national coordinator of its presidential campaign council for the 2027 general elections.
Tanko was unveiled during the inauguration of the campaign council at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja before members of the National Working Committee, stakeholders and supporters. Also present were Obiora Ifoh, the immediate past national publicity secretary of the Labour Party, and other chieftains from the Julius Abure-led faction of that party.
The appointment comes less than two weeks after Tanko resigned as Obi’s political adviser for northern Nigeria, a role he took up after being removed as Obidient Movement national coordinator in October.
In his acceptance remarks, Tanko thanked the SDP leadership for the confidence placed in him and pledged to work with the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, to secure victory in 2027.
“The SDP is a left-wing political party. For those of you who do not know, we represent the interests of the downtrodden. The SDP represents those people that you neglect on the streets. So, that makes this particular party people-oriented,” he said.
He added: “I express my profound gratitude and sincere appreciation to Almighty Allah for making this historic event possible. I equally thank the leadership of the Social Democratic Party for the confidence and repose in me by appointing me as the National Coordinator of the SDP Presidential Campaign Organisation for the 2027 Presidential Election.”
Tanko said he had formally resigned his position with Obi on October 30 before accepting the SDP role. He also noted that he had recently assumed a leadership position in the National Consultative Front (NCFront) following the death of its late co-chairman, former House of Representatives Speaker Ghali Na’Abba.
“It is therefore with appreciation that I receive the invitation of the NC Front recalling me back, back to the house in which we helped to build for a new assignment that will service the Nigerian people,” he said.
He stressed that his relationship with Adebayo dated back to 2023 and was not a sudden development. “This is not a mistake in history. When you go back into history, you will see my warm relationship with him way back in 2023. So this is a relationship that has long been built,” Tanko stated, pledging commitment to good governance, justice, equity and a “new Nigeria.”
Tanko previously served as Obi’s spokesman and media director during the 2023 presidential campaign under the Labour Party. He was appointed Obidient Movement national coordinator in September 2024 before his later reassignment and subsequent exit from Obi’s team.
