The Ondo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Friday denied collapsing the structure of the party in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, ahead of the November governorship election in the state.
Debunking the report, the State Secretary of SDP, Hon. Jimmy Akinyan, described the report as a propaganda designed to cause disaffection within the party, saying it’s a figment of the imagination of some “political desperados”.
Akinyan in a statement maintained that Bamidele Akingboye remains the party’s candidate for the governorship election in the state.
He stated that, “There has been some cheap false news that Ondo State Chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had collapsed its structure for Governor Aiyedatiwa of the APC. This is entirely untrue.
“Even Governor Aiyedatiwa is not rejoicing at this chirade-for-money gimmick because he knows that SDP has not collapsed its structure for him or his party. Aiyedatiwa also knows that Mr Tope Ajulo has never been the Ondo State Chairman of SDP.
“Ajulo was the State Youth Leader who was suspended from the party in early March 2024 for gross misconduct, malfeasance and impersonation.
“Aiyedatiwa knows that the so-called governorship candidate, Dr or Mr. Shola Agboola had been suspended from SDP since January 2020, and Mrs Olusanya Boyede was part of the Ondo State SDP executive which was dissolved on 22 March 2024.
“Contrary to the claims reported, and known by both the incumbent Governor Aiyedatiwa and the Deputy Governor Adelami who came to represent him on the scam ladden chirade-for-money occasion, SDP and its full structures and members are waxing strong for Otunba Bamidele Akingboye, the SDP candidate, who will unseat Mr Aiyedatiwa at the election in November 2024.”
He, however, stated that “It is also incorrect that the leaders of the party in Abuja are fond of using the party to negotiate at every election season, as reported by Mr. Tope Ajulo in the phoney report.
“It may suffice to remind us about the past governorship elections in Ondo State. In 2012, SDP was in existence as SDMP which did not contest at al.l”
He explained that “In 2016, SDP fielded Dr Olu Agunloye as its governorship candidate and National Working Committee led by Chief Olu Falae came from Abuja to flag-off his campaigns in Akure. The Abuja leaders did not negotiate with any party or candidate.
“The SDP went through all the stages of the election. In 2016, Mr. Oyeleye Fasua emerged as the governorship candidate, and before the National leaders could give him the flag of the party, he defected to APC and was instantly expelled from the party by the National Working Committee.
“In 2024, Otunba Bamidele Akingboye (popularly known as OBA emerged as the SDP candidate. Neither the NWC in Abuja nor the governorship candidate is negotiating or ready to negotiate with another candidate because OBA is set to win the election and become the next Governor of Ondo state.
“This political scam of charade-for-money wherein disgruntled and/or dismissed members claim control of a group or a part of a party or its structure in exchange of money or bags of rice or vests and caps is a rampant and recurring method of extorting money from gullible political candidates.”