The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has clarified that schedule for nationwide congresses does not include Osun state, where it said held its congress earlier because of upcoming governorship election in the state.
Controversies had trailed the party’s congress, which produced a former Commissioner as the state
chairman as a faction led by Chief Isola Ademola, branded the exercise as ‘illegal’.
It, however, got more confounding when an advertorial by SDP National Organising Secretary, Rt. Hon. Emeka Atuma, announced schedule for a nationwide congresses, without noting exemption of Osun state.
The advertorial quickly fuelled insinuations that the recently held Osun state congress may have been step aside, with an online publication (not PrimusXpression) quoting Ademola as saying the party’s headquarters took the action to broker peace. “It is sad to note that just one of the three aspirants
contesting the governorship election under the platform of SDP wanted to take the party by the throat and secure our party’s ticket through fraudulent means,” Adewale was quoted as saying.
“Let it be known that Senator Iyiola Omisore’s plan was to install one of his cronies Dr. Bayo Faforiji, the erstwhile factional Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Chairman of SDP through a fake congress not known to the party’s national echelons. “Going by the lists of his so called executives at the ward and local government levels, it was clear that he only appointed aggrieved members of his group
who left the PDP with him in May this year.
But responding to an enquiry on the issue, the National Deputy Publicity Secretary of SDP, Alfa Muhammed disputed Ademola’s claim, saying at no time did the party’s national body resolved to step aside Osun state congress.
He explained that the schedule of congresses advertised by the party exempt Osun, which he said had concluded its congress to meet up with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timeframe due to governorship poll and Ekiti, which also share similar situation with Osun state.
“The congresses dates announced by Rt Hon Atuma does not include that of Osun state where congress had commensed earlier on 30th/june/18 with Ward congress, Monday 2nd July LG congress and State
Congress slated for 7th/7/2018 as already communicated to the former state chairman, Chief Ademola by the same officer because osun state has election at hand and INEC time table has to be complied with,” he explained.
“Also the advert excluded Ekiti state where congresses had taken place earlier because the state also has Governorship election slated for July.”
Muhammed who was part of the delegation from the headquarters, wondered why the national body of the party that set up a committee for the Congress would later turnaround to step aside the outcome of
the process.
He dismissed claims by Ademola as inconsequential, noting that as a a former chairman suspended by the state committee he preside over, he could say anything he wanted but that would not change the fact that Osun Congress is properly conducted.
“All the executive members led by Ademola were in that Congress,” Muhammad pointed out, noting that most members of the newly elected executives of SDP in Osun state were either in the recently dissolved
executive or belonged to the former chairman’s group.
“So, there was no issue with that Congress,” he stressed.