SDP: The third leg in S-West politics

THE Social Democratic Party, SDP, acronym is not entirely new in the South West due to its fame in 1993
when the late business mogul , Chief MKO Abiola contested and won as the President of Nigeria, but, the
result was annulled.
Apart from this, the SDP called the shots in Ogun State between January 1992 and November 1993
before the administration of General Sani Abacha interrupted the political arrangement on 17 November
1993.
Since then, the SDP had become a household name in politics in the region and infact in the entire
country. But, it’s fame was cut short when the military regime disbanded the SDP and the National
Republican Convention, NRC .
History had it that, both the SDP and the NRC were decreed around 1992 by the military government
to develop national consensus and consciousness .
The SDP then was deemed a little to the left, the NRC a little to the right. Both parties encompassed
different personalities who included; late Umar Yar’Adua, Olu Falae , Adamu Ciroma and Umaru Shinkafi
among others.
After the military onslaught on the parties and democracy during the period, the SDP lost its fame in the
South West as the region embraced a fresh party then, the Alliance for Democracy, AD.
This defunct party was branded Yoruba party and enjoyed wide acceptance within the shore of Yoruba
speaking states.
The AD metamorphosed to Action Congress and later became Action Congress of Nigeria which has now
metamorphosed into All Progressives Congress.
But, the recent crisis in the APC in some states in the region led to the rebirth of SDP.
In Ogun State, for example, a former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba became aggrieved
following the manner with which he was reportedly treated by some leaders of the party during the crisis
between him and his estranged godson, the governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
Osoba was reported to have floated a fresh party, Action Group of Nigeria, but, was reportedly scuttled at
the point of registration by his political rivals. This development reportedly prompted him to adopt SDP
which was said to have been registered by a former Presidential candidate on the platform of Alliance for
Democracy, Chief Olu Falae.
Alliance against the APC
An unconfirmed report however, has it that the new SDP was registered by a former governor who was in
the PDP, but reportedly conceded the platform to Falae and Osoba.
Checks by Vanguard revealed that some Yoruba leaders who were aggrieved with APC include; Olu Falae,
Segun Osoba, Chief Ajayi Olaniwun, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and a host of others formed alliance against the
APC.
The alliance was hinged on the fact that, APC has failed the people of the region in its promises.
The APC which prides itself with the legacies of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was accused of
abandoning the Awo’s ideal.
A chieftain of the SDP and a serving member of House of Representatives, Adekunle Adeyemi described
the SDP as a new progressives platform.
He said the APC has failed to sustain the core value of the South West which he said was qualitative free
education . Adeyemi took on APC government on the area of construction of model school describing it as
totally different from Awolowo’s legacy.
He said, Awolowo believed in neighbourhood, pupils should not be far from their parents, the idea of
model schools is not known as Awolowo legacy.
Apart from this accusation, the aggrieved Yoruba leaders believed that the former governor of Lagos State
and national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has turned the party into his personal asset
and used it to achieve his personal aggrandisement.
Personal aggrandisement
These aggrieved elders in the region felt that they have been left out in the scheme of things in the
region. So, the struggle for political relevance among others seem to have propelled them to launch SDP
as an alternative platform of progressives.
The Yoruba leaders have launched the party in three states where governorship elections would take place
this year. Apart from Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states where governorship election was not going to take
place in this year, SDP has been positioned in the remaining states such as Ogun, Oyo and Lagos states
where the governorship election will hold.
SDP in Ogun state: In Ogun State, Osoba launched the party which he claimed has 50,000 registered
members. He also said he was targeting 500,000 votes ahead of the coming election.
Osoba alongside his followers including all the three serving Senators, six members of House of
Representatives, two members of House of Assembly and other loyalists dumped APC for SDP.
All of these serving senators and lawmakers are contesting on the platform of the SDP.
As at today, SDP is a party to beat in the state as both the leaders and the members seem not to be
taking chances with the election.
Olusegun Osoba
It was gathered that, Osoba is seeing this election as his likely last political battle for relevance, following
the crisis he had with Amosun.
The former governor was reportedly persuaded in 2011 to allow Amosun run on the platform of ACN
despite the presence of the array of aspirants who had already lined up for the position before Amosun
came on board from the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party.
Osoba was reported to have described the February election as a political war which he said deserved
serious commitment.
As part of his plans to win the election, Osoba had announced an Awori man as the governorship
candidate of the party to slug it out with Amosun.
Vanguard learnt that, the choice of Senator Akin Odunsi, a serving Senator from Ogun West as the SDP
governorship candidate was carefully made to weaken the stronghold of Amosun.
Latest statistics
Ado-Odo/Ota local government where most Awori people reside has the largest votes in the state.
Findings have shown that, in all the three Senatorial districts in the state, Ogun Central has the largest
votes power.
According to latest statistics, Ogun Central which has six local governments produced 58 per cent of the
votes cast in 2011 while both Ogun East and West shared the remaining 42 per cent.
Amosun is a product of Ogun Central and he is seen as being favoured by the statistics but, the recent
development seems to be shaking the expected victory of Amosun in the coming election.
Osoba’s factor is said to be threatening the total acceptance of Amosun in the central. Osoba who hailed
from Obafemi-Owode is believed to be a strong factor in the rural areas of the state.
Some of his programmes were concentrated on rural areas when he held the sway as governor of the
state.
Amosun whose presence was greatly felt in the urban centre is said to be banking on his popularity among
the rural dwellers who constituted the largest number of voters in the state.
A reliable source told our correspondent that, there is disquiet in the APC following the alleged swell of
membership of the SDP which was flouted three months ago.
According to the findings, the leadership of APC had persuaded Osoba to jettison the idea of flouting new
party, but, the plea was rejected.
Both Osoba and Amosun are set to test their popularity in the state in this election.
As it is, both SDP and APC have renewed their hostility, trading words over alleged plan to rig the coming
general elections.
The APC in the state had accused the SDP of planning to rig the coming election going due to a
statement made by the leader of the party and a former governor of the state, Aremo Segun Osoba that
his party was targeting 500,000 votes.
Osoba had penultimate Wednesday, at the party’s mega rally, held in Abeokuta, said that his party had
registered 50,000 members and had charged them to talk to 10 persons each, saying he was targeting
about 500, 000 eligible voters in the elections.
But , reacting to the statement, the Director-General of Senator Ibikunle Amosun Campaign
Organisations,Chief Bode Mustapha said Osoba and his SDP are not popular to garner such huge votes.
According to Mustapha, “here is a party, the SDP that could not even garner marginal support from its
campaign at Itoku market amongst other parts of the state capital. Perhaps, there are high and mighty
plans underhand to rig these elections?.
“What kind of mysterious, magical stunt does Chief Osoba have under his hat that will automatically
produce a half-million votes out of nothing or from clear blue skies when the whole world already knows
that neither he or his party possesses the support to command even a fraction of that amount of votes
from any ward in any part of Ogun State.
“Ideally, Chief Osoba should be patient enough to test his popularity at the polls”, he said.
But a chieftain of the party and a serving Senator from Ogun East, Senator Gbenga Kaka said APC is
jittery over the popularity of the SDP.
Kaka urged the leaders of the APC to wait for the day of elections and see whether SDP is popular or not.
He said “ We are popular. We don’t hire crowd. People came out of their volition to attend our rallies.
They don’t need to be worried. They should not be panicky or jittery. We are three weeks to the elections,
they should wait to know whether we are popular or not”.
Amosun while reacting to the SDP flag-off said, he had never lost sleep because of the party.
He said, SDP does not have the required resources and popularity to dislodge him from office in the
coming election.
The governor however, claimed that he had to rescue some of the members of SDP from the people who
wanted to attack them.
According to Amosun, “I don’t want to end my political career like this, imagine, the people were shouting
thief and pelting them with sachet water during their flag-off in Abeokuta.
“I am popular. I know I am loved by the people and I will be re-elected. People are happy with us, they
are happy with our programmes. They will vote for us”, Amosun said .
SDP in other states:
Ondo:
The Social Democratic Party,SDP, has a conspicuous presence in Ondo State, where its National
Chairman, Chief Olu Falae hails from.
The party conducted its primary election to field candidates into the National Assembly and State House
of Assembly.
A rally held in Akure had delegates from the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
Oyo:
In Oyo State, Oluseyi Makinde emerged as the party’s governorship flag-bearer at the primaries.
The unveiling of Makinde and his running mate, Alhaji Suleiman Adediran was done at a mega rally in
Ibadan.
Other contestants for various offices were also unveiled at the forum.
Makinde is also confident that SDP would emerge victorious in the polls.
‘’We are doing a lot to introduce the party. And of course, the SDP was used as a political party in 1993.
So, it is not something totally new. And people also recognize the fact that the freest and fairest election
ever conducted in this country was won by the SDP. I will probably say, we have turned a full circle. But
Oyo being a pace-setter State, I will not be surprised that we are the one projecting this,’’ he noted.
The party’s support base in the state was recently boosted by the defection of the supporters of Sen
Rashid Ladoja.
Lagos:
The Lagos State chapter of the party was launched last year at a ceremony where SDP was described as
the third force in the nation’s political terrain.
Addressing party supporters at the event, Falae said all parties without ideology would fade away.
He said: “By the grace of God, SDP will control Ogun State House of Assembly. We will win many seats in
Lagos and across the South West states.”
While confirming Chief Supo Shonibare, as chairman of the party in Lagos, he, however, urged party
members in the South West to ensure that they contest in all elective positions in Lagos state.
Former Ogun State governor, Chief Segun Osoba, who was represented by Sen. Gbenga Kaka said that
SDP is the party to beat in 2015.
Osoba described the SDP as the fastest growing party in Ogun State and Nigeria saying, “we will return all
our candidates in the 2015 polls.”
Osun:
The party contested and lost the last governorship election in Osun State.
It’s candidate, a former Head of Service in the state, Olusegun Akinwusi became the SDP sole candidate
among other three contenders after fulfilling all the procedures.