We’re not owned, financed by Tinubu — SDP

The national leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Wednesday dismissed the speculations making the rounds that the party is owned and financed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing it as falsehood.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by its National Secretary, Araba Rufus Ayenigba.

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The statement reads “The national leadership of our great party, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, has in the past days, been inundated with calls and expressions of concern about the reckless and mischievous statements credited to some individuals, suggesting that President Bola Tinubu owns and funds the Social Democratic Party, the SDP.

“Initially, we chose not to dignify the preposterous claims of those political jobbers, attention and patronage-seeking likes of Mr Joe Igbokwe, Alhaji Buba Galadima, Engineer YY Sani and Alhaji Salihu Lukman, with any response so as not to make there false claim have any semblance of importance, but upon deep reflection and considering the preponderance of calls from well-meaning patriots, we have decided to respond as follows:

“The SDP is a national political party that runs on the provisions of its constitution and operates its people-centred ideology.

“There is no individual who owns the SDP, and there is no godfather anywhere to whom the party reports; Nigerians own the party.

“That beyond the undeniable fact that the SDP provided the foundation upon which the glorious political career of President Tinubu is built, having provided him with the platform to contest and win the Senate seat of Lagos-West along with Senator Kofoworola Akerele-Buknor and Senator Anthony Adefuye in the aborted 3rd Republic.

“That there is no working connection or relationship whatsoever, with the president or his agents with regard to political collaboration.

“That the party has, over the years, been solely self-funded and through the subscriptions and sacrifices of members across the country.

” That the SDP is not involved in any merger and will not be in any merger with any political party.

“That the SDP is a well-running and functioning political party with verifiable structures at national, state, and local government levels.

“The party condemns the deliberate fabrication of falsehoods by attention-seeking individuals and calls on the individuals involved to withdraw their unfounded statements against the party.

“We declare with a strong sense of commitment to our noble ideals and allegiance to the Nigerian people that we are not in any way distracted, and we will not succumb to the antics and self-serving propaganda of political jobbers.

“The SDP has, over time, been well-primed for the times, and is getting stronger and well positioned to play its manifest destiny as the main opposition force in this era, and the credible alternative vehicle to drive the ongoing swelling national movement to re-claim Nigeria, make the lives of Nigerians truly meaningful and position the country for true greatness.

“The SDP hereby calls on Eng. YY Sani and Alhaji Buba Galadima, two leaders of the ADP and NNPP, respectively, have taken delight in calling us names to restrain from their condemnable actions.

“We are not unaware of the many cans of worms and integrity crisis in their own political parties, but as a credible opposition party that is run by responsible and patriotic political leaders, we have chosen to be refined, elevated and decorous in our approach and responses to issues.”

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