The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has appointed Yunusa Tanko, former spokesman for Peter Obi and immediate past National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, as National Coordinator of its Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tanko was unveiled on Wednesday during the inauguration of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council at its national secretariat in Abuja.
The event was attended by members of the party’s National Working Committee, chieftains, stakeholders and supporters. Also present was Obiora Ifoh, immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, alongside other leaders of the Julius Abure-led faction.
His appointment comes barely two weeks after he resigned as Obi’s Political Adviser for Northern Nigeria, a position he took up following his removal as National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement in October.
Tanko announced his resignation on October 30, 2026, saying he was returning to the National Consultative Front (NCFront), where he serves as co-chairman.
In his acceptance speech, Tanko thanked the SDP leadership for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to work with the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewale Adebayo, to secure victory in the 2027 election.
He described the SDP as a left-wing, people-oriented party committed to protecting the interests of disadvantaged Nigerians.
“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 also expressed gratitude to the party for appointing him to lead its presidential campaign organisation.
Tanko explained that his return to the NCFront followed the death of its late co-chairman and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba.
Na’Abba had jointly led the organisation with Professor Pat Utomi before his death. Tanko said he assumed a leadership role in the NCFront on October 18, 2026, to fill the vacancy created by Na’Abba’s demise.
He described his latest appointment as an opportunity to return to the political platform he helped build and contribute to its mission of serving Nigerians.
“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.
The former Obidient Movement coordinator confirmed that he had formally resigned from his position as Obi’s political adviser before accepting the SDP appointment.
“I tendered my resignation on the 30th of October 2026 as the political advisor to His Excellency Mr Peter Obi, to represent Northern Nigeria,” he said.
Tanko added that he had reached out to Obi and the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, following his resignation.
He pledged to work closely with the NCFront leadership and Adebayo, saying his relationship with the SDP presidential candidate dated back to 2023.
He said he remained committed to the pursuit of good governance, justice, equity and national development.
Tanko’s appointment marks another shift in his political career, having played a prominent role in Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign and the mobilisation of supporters under the Obidient Movement.
In September 2024, Obi appointed him National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement worldwide following a consensus arrangement to zone the position to Northern Nigeria.
Before then, Tanko had served as Obi’s spokesman and media director of the defunct Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation.
He was also chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in 2015 and later joined the National Conscience Party, under which he contested the 2019 presidential election.
On October 1, 2026, Obi announced Tanko’s removal as National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement and appointed him Political Adviser for Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections.
Although Tanko publicly thanked Obi and members of the movement while accepting the new role, reports from his camp later suggested dissatisfaction over what some supporters considered a demotion after years of loyalty to the former Anambra State governor.
His exit came barely three months after another former Obi loyalist, Nana Kazaure, left the NDC presidential candidate’s camp to join the campaign team of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
