By Ghazali Ibrahim
Former National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko, has joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where he has been appointed to coordinate its presidential campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tanko, who was one of the prominent figures in Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, was unveiled on Wednesday, November 11, during the inauguration of the SDP Presidential Campaign Council at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
He was appointed National Coordinator of the SDP Presidential Campaign Council and is expected to work with Prince Adewale Adebayo, who is being presented by the faction that announced the appointment as its presidential candidate.
His move comes barely two weeks after he resigned as Obi’s Political Adviser for Northern Nigeria, a position he assumed following his removal as National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement in October.
Tanko confirmed during the event that he submitted his resignation on October 30, 2026, before accepting the SDP appointment.
He also disclosed that he had contacted Obi and the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, to inform them of his decision.
Explaining his decision, Tanko described the SDP as a people-oriented political party committed to defending the interests of disadvantaged Nigerians.
He said he was accepting the new responsibility with humility and pledged to work with Adebayo towards the party’s electoral victory.
Tanko became prominent during the 2023 presidential election as Obi’s spokesman and media director of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation.
He was subsequently appointed National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement worldwide in September 2024.
However, on October 1, 2026, Obi announced his removal from the position and appointed him as Political Adviser for Northern Nigeria.
His latest political move comes amid developments involving other figures who previously worked closely with Obi, including Nana Kazaure, who reportedly moved to the campaign team of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Meanwhile, the SDP is facing an internal dispute over its leadership and 2027 presidential candidate. The party’s official website maintains that Adebayo was expelled and was never its validly nominated candidate, while a Federal High Court in Abuja reserved judgment in a suit challenging his recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on October 28.
