Don’t join us through back door, SDP Presidential Candidate tells defectors

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has insisted that those joining the party must do so legitimately. Daily Trust reports that the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru El-Eufai, is the leading the pack of new entrants into the SDP amid an alleged plan to hijack the […]

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has insisted that those joining the party must do so legitimately.

Daily Trust reports that the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru El-Eufai, is the leading the pack of new entrants into the SDP amid an alleged plan to hijack the party’s structure.

In Ogun State, there are allegations that Jimi Lawal, a former aide and ally of El-Rufai, claimed that he had obtained 30,000 membership cards from the national Secretariat of SDP, a development currently generating controversy in the state chapter.

Adebayo flanked by the former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Saturday in Abeokuta met with the SDP members and executive members led by the State Chairman, Yinka Ola-Williams.

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The former presidential candidate allayed fears of members on the alleged party hijack, saying the National Working Committee of SDP can only issue membership cards through the executive at the state levels.

Adebayo said the party is open to defectors but they must do so legitimately.

He said “People are counterfeiting naira, they are counterfeiting the dollar, they’re bringing counterfeit rice, NAFDAC is chasing counterfeit drugs. Why are you surprised that there are counterfeit party cards? Especially if counterfeit party card is carried by counterfeit politicians who have the history of doing counterfeit in their former parties. So, we should forgive everybody, but this counterfeiting will not work in SDP.

“We are not fighting anybody we are only saying ‘come to our house through the front door not through the ceiling or the window. That’s all. Everybody here joined the party legitimately, anybody coming will join legitimately.

“We have spoken to the National Chairman and the NWC, he said there’s no counterfeiting of anything. Any card that’s not given through the state, LG and executives is not from the SDP. So, if they come, you will tell them to go away. Put your name in our register here and pay us here. We will get the card for you. That’s how it is.

“They want to run faster than their legs. Secondly, you are hearing rumors that people are coming to our party, Awolowo is coming, Azikiwe is coming, Balewa, Ahmadu Bello is coming. Let’s see them. Nigerians know us and they know them.”

He, however, expressed confidence that SDP will rule Nigeria come 2027.

“One thing that God is telling me is that there will be an SDP president in the villa in 2027. For the first time in a long time, we will have people who care for the people. Let’s remain focus. The problems of Nigeria are our problems not individuals.

“We are not against Tinubu as a person but we are against hunger, inflation, poverty, insecurity, unemployment. That’s what we are against,” he said.

The state chairman of the party seized the occasion to welcome genuine new members into the party.

“We want people to join us and we want to work together to provide a better government than what we have now that will remove poverty, provide better healthcare system for people, improve education and all.

“But not that they come to the party, hijack the party and take the structure away. That’s what we will not agree,” Ola – Williams said.