ONE of the political parties in the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), the Alliance of Social Democrats (ASD) has inaugurated its Ekiti State chapter and warned politicians against rigging and other acts capable of ruining the coming electoral process in the country.
At a stakeholders meeting of ASD, in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, the National Deputy Chairman of the party, Akinsola Akinbobola, noted that Nigerians were tired of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), which he said were ‘the same’, saying the people want a credible alternative.
Akinbobola said: “There’s just one major political party: APPCDP. Today you’re here tomorrow you’re there. They the same. Nigerians are fed up and not until a credible alternative is presented to Nigerians, they would have no alternative.
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“So we must provide the alternative and it must be clearly spelt out in terms of ideology, principles and standing with the people. Unfortunately, we have parties that have deviated from what the people really need. They bamboozle people with money and lies and get to power and the people suffer.”
Akinbobola inaugurated the Caretaker Committee of ASD led by Coordinator, Pastor Stephen Oladejo. Other members of the committee are Deputy Coordinator, Mr Abdulrahman Ojo; PRO, Ogidan Tolulope; Women Coordinator, Elizabeth Afolayan; Youth Leader, Femi Olaitan and Director of Media, Akere Temitope Victor.
Others are Organising Secretary, Michael Adesuyi; Coordinators of Special Duties are; Kolawole Agbede, Akinwumi Olusola, Obafemi Alaba, Falase Femi.
He said he was positive that “If the Electoral Act is signed and if there’s a free and fair election, anything is possible,” noting that “prior to 2015, everybody felt that in Nigeria incumbency matters. But after 2015 when there was a free and fair election, anything is possible.”
Akinbobola said President Muhammadu Buhari had no choice if the 2019 election didn’t favour him, pointing out that the election in Nigeria had attracted so much attention internationally that there would be communication among the world leaders so much that they would advise that if he loses, he must leave otherwise “he becomes a persona non grata in the world.”
The South West Coordinator for Mobilisation, Peter Kola Bamigbade said ASD was out to take away thuggery and godfatherism which he said had ruined Nigerian politics for long.
The Ekiti Coordinator of ASD, Stephen Oladejo, said he decided to bring ASD to Ekiti State because “we share the same vision and ideology and also have the same desire of delivering Ekiti from the hands of political godfathers.”
Oladejo said he worked with some politicians in the July 2018 election in the state but was disappointed because he found that many of the people he had worked with didn’t share in his vision and drive.”
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