SDP denies withdrawing from Ekiti governorship poll

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The Social Democratic Party has dismissed reports claiming it withdrew from Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, describing the information as fabricated and misleading.

In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, the SDP National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, said the party’s candidate, Isaac Alade, remained firmly in the race and was duly recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Aiyenigba assured voters that the party’s name remains on the ballot and urged the public to disregard what it described as a false withdrawal notice circulated by “political jobbers.”

He said, “The Ekiti electorate and members of the public are hereby assured by the National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, and the National Working Committee that the SDP is on the ballot, and its candidate, Isaac Alade, the validly nominated candidate who signed the INEC Peace Pact, remains strongly in contention for the election.”

The party accused unnamed individuals of deliberately spreading misinformation to mislead voters ahead of the poll.

Aiyenigba also raised concerns over what it described as INEC’s refusal to grant the party access to upload the names of its polling unit agents despite allegedly issuing access codes to the party’s national secretariat.

According to him, officials of the electoral commission at the national headquarters failed to open the portal required for the upload, a development the party said could undermine the credibility of the election.

“The SDP hereby declares that in an election such as this, where the actions and inactions of the electoral umpire show an unhidden bias, the outcome becomes a nullity, considering that the deliberate locking out of agents of a major opposition party like the SDP by the commission erodes the credibility of the election,” the statement added.

Reaffirming its commitment to the contest, the SDP described itself as a credible alternative platform capable of delivering good governance, equitable socio-economic development, and shared prosperity to the people of Ekiti State.

The party also pledged to continue advocating for transparent and credible elections as part of its contribution to Nigeria’s democratic development.

The PUNCH journalist, Adebayo, has over 20 years of experience covering politics, health, metro, entertainment and properties

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