Osun SDP holds state congress, elects new executives + PHOTOS

The Osun State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), on Saturday, held its 2018 elective state congress in Osogbo, where Dr Bayo Foforiji emerged as the state chairman and Alhaji Bello Akeem became the secretary.

The congress, which produced a 39-member executive, including the chairman and secretary, had a total number of 3,890 delegates in attendance, was held peacefully at the De Distinguished Event Centre, Old Trade Fair Complex, Iwo-Ibadan Road, Osogbo.

It was well attended by party stalwarts and delegates from all the 31 local governments in Osun State, while it also had in attendance monitoring officers from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by Mrs Folake A. Agboola, Director and Head of Department at the state INEC office.

Others in the INEC monitoring team included, Mrs Cecelia Akinjobi, from INEC headquarters in Abuja, Mr Makinde Musiliu Sola, and Mr Ige Ojo Joseph.

The new executives were immediately sworn in, while the chairman speaking on behalf of others promised to be fair and just in their duties.

The newly elected spokesperson of the party, Mr Taiwo Akeju, assessing the congress outcome lauded the chairman, electoral panel, Hon Amba Ajah, and the chairman planning committee, Barr S. L. Ojo-Williams, for their steadfastness, and focus in seeing to the success of the congress.

Akeju also applauded the INEC officials, who he commended for their act of patriotism, and commitment towards good elections in Nigeria, likewise the security personnel, who he said played their roles well in ensuring the venue of the “peaceful congress” was well secured.

He thanked the INEC officials who were in attendance, which to him, had further attested to the fact that “SDP is a peaceful and law abiding party,” as according to him, “INEC had to boycott an opposition party’s congress which held recently, because of certain illegality involved, which was not the case in SDP’s own.”

“Every authorities who contributed to the success of the Congress is commended, most especially, the INEC officials for their patriotism and commitment to good election in Nigeria, likewise the planning committee, the electoral committee and the security personnel are commended for their good job.

“The successful conduct of this congress has further positioned SDP as the party to beat in the September 22 governorship election in Osun State,” Akeju said.

Some of the dignitaries who attended the congress, included, Chief Tajudeen Oladipo, a governorship aspirant of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, a former Minister of Water Resources, Chief Bashir Awotorebo, ex-Rep members, Hon George Okonye and Hon John Fasogbon, Dr Sola Oladeinde, a former Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan, among others.