The current confusion over the status of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) National Chairman took a new dimension on Tuesday, as the Southern States Chairmen and Zonal leaders, passed a vote of no confidence on its Acting Chairman, Alhaji Abdul Ahmed Isiaq.
The party’s chairmen and zonal leaders, in a meeting held in Akure, faulted the emergence of Isiaq as the Acting Chairman of the party, saying his emergence was contrary to the party’s constitution.
The former National Chairman of the SDP, Dr Tunde Adeniran, resigned from office and partisan politics generally last September and handed over to Isiaq.
The group, however, expressed its confidence in the National Working Committee of the party that the abnormality would be reversed as stipulated in the Party constitution in Article 13, section 2 sub-section (ii) in filling the vacant position of the office of the National Chairman.
The chairmen, whose resolutions were signed by 15 members recognised and threw their weight behind the Deputy National Chairman (South) Dr Olu Agunloye as the bonafide Acting National Chairman of the party.
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They called on leaders of the party from zone to follow their steps in the interest of the development of the SDP and the Constitution of the party
Reading the outcome of the group’s decision, the Chairman of the Forum of Southern State Chairmen and Zonal leaders, Hon Bade Falade, said in the communique that “In line with our genuine resolve to reposition our great party, Social Democratic Party and to fill the vacant position of it’s National Chairman occasioned by the resignation of its former Chairman Prof. Tunde Adeniran, a summit of the Southern Forum of State Chairmen and other Party officials held today Monday, 2nd November 2020 at Akure, Ondo State where we resolved as follows
“That we have confidence in the National Working Committee (NWC) of Social Democratic Party SDP and the Party Constitution in Article 13, section 2, sub-section(ii) in filling the vacant position of the office of the National Chairman.
“That the emergence of a new National Chairman should be urgently followed with the convening of National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party where progress affecting the party will be discussed and a committee be put in place for holding the National Convention”
The forum, however, passed a vote of confidence on Agunloye, saying he is expected to take over from Adeniran as stipulated by the SDP constitution.
The forum stated that “while awaiting the appropriate action of the National Working Committee (NWC), we the undersigned being members of SDP and State Chairmen and Zonal officers hereby recognize the Deputy National Chairman (South) Dr Olu Agunloye as the bonafide Acting National Chairman of the party.
“We hereby enjoin others to follow same in the interest of the Constitution of SDP”
The group also called on the Federal Government to revisit and consider the recommendations of the 2014 Confab report while the issue of restructuring should be revisited.
“We implore the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Presidency of General Muhammed Buhari to revisit the document of the last Constitutional Conference in the country and address the issue of restructuring which will tackle critical issues raised by the END-SARS protests,” the SDP leaders said.
and then