Nigerians, not Tinubu own our party — SDP

The national leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or any godfather owns or bankrolls the party, saying it remains an independent entity owned by Nigerians. Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, said this yesterday in a statement in Abuja. He also disclosed […]

The national leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or any godfather owns or bankrolls the party, saying it remains an independent entity owned by Nigerians.

Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, said this yesterday in a statement in Abuja. He also disclosed that the SDP is not in merger talks with any other political party in the country. 

The party accused some individuals,  including Joe Igbokwe, Alhaji Buba Galadima, Engr Yabagi Sani and Alhaji Salihu Lukman, of spreading fake news and pushing the false narrative for personal and political reasons.

“In the past days, the party has been inundated with calls and expressions of concern about the reckless and mischievous statements credited to some individuals, suggesting that President Tinubu owns and funds the Social Democratic Party, the SDP.

“Initially, we chose not to dignify the preposterous claims of those political jobbers, attention and patronage-seeking likes of Mr Joe Igbokwe, Alhaji Buba Galadima, Engineer Y. Y. Sani and Alhaji Salihu Lukman, with any response so as not to make their false claim have any semblance of importance.

“But upon deep reflection and considering the preponderance of calls from well-meaning patriots, we have decided to respond that the SDP is a national political party that runs on the provisions of its constitution and operating its people-centred ideology,” Aiyenigba said.

He said Nigerians own the party and not a single individual, stressing that there is no one to whom the party reports its affairs. 

He also said beyond the “undeniable fact” that the SDP provided the foundation upon which the “glorious political career of President Tinubu is built”, having provided him the platform to contest and win the Senate seat of Lagos-West along with Senator Kofoworola Akerele-Buknor and Senator Anthony Adefuye in the aborted 3rd Republic, there is currently no working connection or relationship whatsoever, with the president or his agents with regards to political collaboration.

“The party has, over the years, been solely self-funded and through the subscriptions and sacrifices of members across the country. The SDP is not involved in any merger and will not be in any merger with any political party,” he said.