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Tag: Social Democratic Party

  • Kogi guber: SDP’s Ajaka boasts, says he’s the candidate to beat

    Kogi guber: SDP’s Ajaka boasts, says he’s the candidate to beat

    One month before the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Murtala Ajaka, has described himself as the most popular contestant.

    Ajaka, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the people of Kogi State are with him and will vote his party into office.

    “I am the most popular candidate in the state. By the grace of God, the people are with me. By November 11, I am going to win the election,” he said on Tuesday.

    “That is why he (Governor Yahaya Bello) is after me. He knows his candidate is not popular. His candidate is part of the problem.”

    Deal’
    He accused the Kogi State governor of imposing a former Auditor General of Local Government in the state, Ahmed Ododo, as the flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), over an alleged deal.

    Although Ajaka did not throw more light on the supposed deal, he claimed that civil servants in Kogi as well as citizens of the state are against the APC candidate.

    According to him, outgoing Governor Bello is nursing a presidential ambition in 2027, hence his decision to foist Ododo on the people.

    “The civil servants in the state are against his candidate, virtually everybody in the state is against the candidate. He is the one putting this candidate because of the deal they have,” Ajaka added.

    Asked to shed more light on the deal, the SDP candidate stated: “At the appointed time, we will let the world know.”

    “He is putting this guy forward because Yahaya Bello wants to contest the 2027 presidential election. Take it to the bank.”

    ‘More than Qualified’
    During the interview, Ajaka also spoke on his academic qualification for the state’s top job, saying he possesses the requisite credentials to occupy the Lord Lugard Government House in Lokoja.

    Describing himself as ‘more than qualified,’ the governorship candidate said he fielded the minimum requirement – Senior School Certificate in accordance with the Constitution, adding that he has a degree to his pocket.

    He added, “I have more than a school certificate. I have my first degree in Public Administration but of course, the constitution says ‘the minimum requirement.’

    “I have to submit the one I know that nobody can call and change anything there. You can see what they are trying to do to my deputy now. The state government in collaboration with security agencies in the state has taken my deputy to court.”

  • SDP presidential candidate, Adebayo speaks on merging with another party

    SDP presidential candidate, Adebayo speaks on merging with another party

    The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Adewole Adebayo, has clarified issues concerning   the party over speculations it would merge with another political party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    He said that the party has no plans whatsoever to merge or forge an alliance with any other political party, although the SDP appears to have limited scope and influence in the current political landscape.

    The SDP presidential candidate made the statement while answering interview questions from pressmen in Abuja on Friday.

    He noted that SDP is an underdog but it has not considered any plans to merge with another party for next year’s general election.

    “We’re underdogs, but we will never enter an alliance or merge with any other party in the current scheme of things,” Adebayo said, disclosing that the party would soon spring surprises that would amaze political watchers.

    Adebayo said that the party had come a long way, having won a previous presidential election that was later annulled by a former military ruler, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, in 1993.

    Commenting on the face-off between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the presidential hopeful argued that poor governance and endemic corruption were central to the continued inability of the feuding parties to resolve their differences to save the education sector.

    He promised to put an end to the incessant strikes by doing the needful if elected president by the people of the country.

    He added that he would ensure that government hands off running of the University saying that should be the sole responsibility of the universities’ councils.

    He said , universities’ funds should be controlled by governing councils of the universities, a development he said would give the universities freedom to run their affairs in learning and research.

    He described the recurring ASUU strikes as “a showdown between ASUU and contractors in government’’, lamenting the negative impact of the endless strikes on the future of the nation.

    He advised the students at home because of the strike to be prayerful and steadfast towards ASUU and the country as a whole so we can start to experience growth in all areas.

  • LP, SDP collaborate ahead of 2023 elections in Benue state

    LP, SDP collaborate ahead of 2023 elections in Benue state

    In Benue state, the Social Democratic Party and Labour party have allied ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections in the country.

    This development was made known on Monday by the chairman of SDP, John Enemari.

    He said that the leadership of the party has directed all party chairmen, executives at the 276 electoral wards and the 23 local government areas to support the Labour party and its governorship candidate, Herman Hembe.

    Speaking at a news conference in Makurdi where he led members of its executive across the three senatorial zones and council wards in the state, he charged them to go and build Labour Party and support its candidates.

    He said, “The man that is coming is a young man that has done very well in its constituency. This is his fourth time at the National Assembly, House of Representatives. Once you mention his name, they will tell you, they know him.

    “My people are calling me, ‘chairman, where do you want us to go?’ I said ‘look, wait.’ I met with him and we spoke. So, my people, we are going to work with him (Herman Hembe).”

    The SDP chairman said the crisis at the national level has destabilized the party in all the states of the federation which he said led to factions in the party.

    Annemarie said the time had come when the party in the state had to take its future into its hand, accusing the national leadership of the party of sweeping the state office of several millions of naira generated from aspirants in the build-up to the 2019 general elections.

    He said, “We cannot continue to suffer for them at the national office, national office reaped closed to N100 million from Benue SDP, in 2018 but no one kobo was sent to us to work for the party and by the party constitution, we were supposed to get not less than N75m from the sales of forms by party constitution of section 72(2), but these people in Abuja sat on it.”

    “In a party, if you don’t win the election, what do you do? Now they are in court, let them continue, Benue is not a revenue-yielding state for them. Benue now needs good governance we cannot remain idle, we must work with those with integrity to deliver the state.”

  • Ekiti gov aspirant, Oni escapes assassination at SDP secretariat

    Ekiti gov aspirant, Oni escapes assassination at SDP secretariat

    The candidate of the Social Democratic Party(SDP) in the June 18 Ekiti governorship poll, Segun Oni, has narrowly escaped assassination by gunmen suspected to be thugs, at the party’s Secretariat in Efon Alaye, Efon local government area.

     

    It was gathered that the gunmen, on Wednesday, stormed the SDP Secretariat, where Oni was expected to meet with his supporters in continuation of his consultation tour ahead of the poll, and started shooting sporadically into the air, forcing people to scamper for safety to prevent being caught in the web of the melee.

     

    According to a source, vehicles were damaged and several members of SDP sustained varying injuries.

     

    They are receiving medical treatment in undisclosed hospital in the town.

     

    The Director of Media and Publicity of Engr. Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, Adebayo Jackson said it took the intervention of security operatives attached to the ex-Governor to repel and dislodge the arm-weilding attackers.

     

    He said: “The convoy of the Segun Oni Campaign Organisation was brutally attacked with gunshots, cutlasses, sticks and stones by the fierce-looking thugs at Efon Alaaye in Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State yesterday.

     

    “The campaign train which had toured nine local governments since Monday and fully received by large turnout of members and supporters of the Social Democratic Party ( SDP) was attacked with gunshots, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons at the center of the town around 3.30pm.

     

    “Shortly after the Efon Local Government members and supporters of the SDP had converged at the venue to wait for the arrival of the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Segun Oni, the thugs started to shoot guns and attacked the SPD supporters with sticks and cutlasses.

     

    “Some supporters were badly injured and vehicles in the convoy were damaged by thugs before the arrival of a detachment of police which overpowered the thugs
    An officer of the Nigeria Civil Defense Corps was not spare by the thugs as they attempted to snatch his gun. He was wounded but refused to surrender his gun”, he said.

     

    When contacted, Ekiti Police spokesman. ASP Sunday Abutu, confirmed the attack.

     

    Abutu said the gun-wielding political thugs invaded the campaign ground of the former Governor and made spirited efforts to disrupt it.

     

    “Yes, the hoodlums came to the venue with dangerous weapons to disrupt the consultation process of the SDP candidate, Engr Segun On but our men were able to out the situation under control.

     

    “The police have begun investigation and arrest will be made and those behind it will surely have a case to answer”.