A factional Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by Wole Adesina has issued a stern warning against what it called two disturbing developments threatening the integrity and unity of the party.
The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Alfa Mohammed, in a statement on Monday, condemned the influx of aggrieved politicians forming a coalition aimed at sacking President Bola Tinubu without presenting any clear-cut alternative vision for Nigeria’s transformation.
“The influx of some aggrieved politicians in a desperate coalition to ‘send President Bola Ahmed Tinubu back to Lagos’ without showcasing any clear-cut alternative agenda for Nigeria’s transformation is disturbing,” Mohammed said.
“The party is not for sale or lease to any group and will not be part of any anti-government plots or coalition that lacks a clear alternative agenda for Nigeria’s transformation.”
While distancing itself from any coalition allegedly seeking to derail the administration and undermine the mandate of Nigerian voters from the 2023 general elections, the faction pledged to maintain constructive engagement with the federal government, holding it accountable.
The faction also urged leaders of the SDP nationwide to resist any attempts to usurp their positions.
It further called on them to report such incidents to the appropriate authorities, encouraging party members and supporters to remain calm, as efforts to reclaim full recognition from INEC are ongoing.
“We call on SDP leaders at all levels to resist any attempt to usurp their leadership and report such actions to the appropriate authorities, while leaving the party’s doors open for genuinely intentioned new members,” he added.
The Adesina-led NEC also dismissed what it described as the illegal replacement of constitutionally recognized state executives of the SDP by the coalition group, in collaboration with a rival faction of the party.
The faction likened the current situation to a similar crisis in 2019, when defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Prof. Jerry Gana, attempted to take control of the party’s leadership.
