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National Chairman, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dr. Olu Agunloye, has debunked the rumour that former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is aspiring for the 2023 presidency on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has entered into any negotiation or is planning to use SDP as alternative platform peradventure he (Tinubu) is denied the ruling party’s presidential ticket.
In a telephone chat with The Guardian, Agunloye said: “As the national chairman of SDP, as long as the party’s platform is open and available to whosoever is thinking of an alternative to the two major political parties, APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), things must be done orderly and it is not also for sale.
“Several members of SDP have remained committed to using it as an alternative platform since 2015 and despite the fact that they contested many elections and lost, the majority of us stayed put to build the party. It is not just possible to do anything anyhow now. Our major focus is to rebrand, rebuild and reshape Nigeria, which has been bastardised by gladiators in the major political parties over the years.”
Agunloye also debunked rumour that SDP has scheduled to hold any stakeholders’ meeting in any of the South-West states as some are insinuating, saying: “Perhaps the ongoing consultations by one of our aspirants across the country, which is scheduled to hold in Ibadan soon, is what people are misconstruing.”
BUT inside sources within the Tinubu and APC camps insisted that the national leader actually had an alternative plan peradventure the ruling party refused to give him the ticket.
The sources said: “If you take a critical look at the way Tinubu did his consultations across the country, it is obvious that he has looked and seen beyond APC. For instance, going to various traditional rulers’ palaces to seek their blessings and support was beyond fraternising to get APC’s presidential ticket.”
“ In most of the states he visited, the national leader of APC did not branch in any of the state party secretariats either did he meet with APC stalwarts other than personalities, most of who are not even APC members.”
The source said Tinubu’s first critical meeting with APC stakeholders since he began the consultations was with the APC lawmakers in Abuja, saying: “Tinubu has seen and worked beyond the ongoing challenges in the ruling party for his presidential quest.”
