Members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Osun Central Senatorial District have disassociated themselves from the coalition agreement embarked upon by some leaders and members of the party in Oṣun State.
The members of the party came to this conclusion on Thursday, after a meeting in Osogbo, which was presided over by the party’s candidate for Osun Central Senatorial District, Otunba Solomon Ayotunde Babatunde.
Babatunde, who thanked the members for their unflinching support even in the face of intimidation, asked them not to give in to the “antics of spoilers who are hell-bent in sending the party into oblivion.”
He also promised to keep the flag of the SDP flying in Osun Central and Osun State in general.
The SDP members speaking one after the other at the meeting affirmed that the SDP still remained the party to beat in Osun Central.
It will be recalled that SDP had a good outing at the last governorship election without inducing voters, this, the members agreed was a pointer to the fact that the party remained the hope of the common man.
The members enjoined one another to remain steadfast in their support for the party. They also affirmed to stay with the decision of the national body of the SDP which did not recognise any form of coalition with the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the state or national level, saying, “the SDP in Osun Central Senatorial District have a candidate.”
The members at the meeting also concluded that any leader or member in Osun Central who work against the party’s candidate would be seen as engaging in anti-party activities, while members were also enjoined to desist from such act and join hands together to move SDP forward.
The gathering also resolved that Otunba Babatunde would be the leader of the SDP in Osun State being the highest ranking candidate under the umbrella of the party in the state, while it affirmed that “there will not be anything called coalition between the SDP and APC in Osun Central,” while calling on well-meaning members of SDP in Osun state to stay with the party.
In attendance at the meeting were SDP executive members from across the 10 local governments in Osun Central and other members who are not in tune with the said coalition including Hon. Tayo Olawoye, SDP’s House of Assembly candidate for Boripe/Boluwaduro state constituency, who spoke on behalf of other Houses of Assembly candidate.
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