Photo: Humphrey Nwosu submitting the amended versions of the draft constitution and manifestos of the political parties to President Babangida.

Seated is Lieutenant General Sani Abacha. Chief of Defence staff and Minister of Defence.

Professor Humphrey Nwosu (born 2 October 1941) was chairman of the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria appointed by President Ibrahim Babangida, holding office from 1989 to 1993.

Professor Nwosu conducted the June 12th 1993 election in which Chief Moshood Abiola was presumed to have won. Nwosu’s commission introduced the novel Option A4 voting system and the Open ballot system. Nwosu had already released many of the election results when he was ordered to stop further announcement by the military regime.

The election was then annulled by Ibrahim Babangida, causing a political crisis which led to General Sani Abacha seizing power later that year.

The Social Democratic Party of Nigeria, commonly known as the SDP, was established as a center-left political organization. It was created by former President Ibrahim Babangida via a democracy project meant to form two detribalized political parties – one slightly to the left and one to the right. During the Nigerian Third Republic it was seen as a moderate party attractive to young radical intellectuals and socialists. In its manifesto, it called for concerted efforts to improve welfare and fight for social justice.

Structure

After 13 prospective parties were banned by the administration of Ibrahim Babangida in 1989, some of the associations decided to re-align. The People’s Front of Nigeria, People’s Solidarity Party, and the Nigerian Labor Party emerged to form the core constituency of the new SDP. The leadership was mostly dominated by Northern Nigerians. Babagana Kingibe was elected party chairman in 1990 over his rival Mohammed Arzika.
The party won 57% of Senate seats and 53% of House of Representatives seats in the 1992 National Assembly election. The party was primarily financed by the Federal Government and a individuals such as Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Francis Nzeribe and M.K.O. Abiola.
In its first presidential primary, Yar’Adua collected about 480,000 votes, dominating his primary opponent, Olu Falae in the first round. Those elections were then canceled by Babangida. In the second primary election under an adopted system called Option A4, another financier, Abiola (a former member of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons and once a state chairman of the National Party of Nigeria), won the primary on March 1993. He then contested the national election, which was also annulled by Babangida.

Among former members, Atiku Abubakar, Jerry Gana, Abubakar Rimi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Umaru Yar’Adua, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Dapo Sarumi, and Mohammed Arzika later became senior figures in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Jerry Gana returned to SDP in 2018 Wikipedia

Photos

SDP Chief Bashorun Abiola presents his presidential running mate Alhaji Babagana Kingibe in AbujaSDP supporters

SDP Boss, Prince Olusi

AlhajaTaibat Akinade – Dosunmu

Federal House of Representatives member, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola

Senate President, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu (r) chatting to Senator Bola Tinubu at the SDP convention in Jos

SDP Chief Kanu