INSIDEPOLITICS Doubts, questions as SDP plans big comeback
But a political scientist and commentator, Dr. Gbade Ojo, told Daily Trust on Sunday that as interesting as the move to revive SDP seems, the promoters of the party do not have the financial muscles to win the support of Nigerians.
He, however, said the unfolding development is good for Nigeria’s political development more so with the defection of those he called credible Nigerians like Professors Tunde Adeniran and Jerry Gana who recently joined the party.
“Looking at the personalities paraded by SDP, they don’t have the required deep pocket to mobilize Nigerians. But the move to revive the party is good for the political system”, he said.
Chief Supo Shonibare who is the South-West Chairman of the party, is yet to respond to enquires by Daily Trust on Sunday.
But Agunloye said the party remained the only viable alternative to deliver real change to Nigerians.
Agunloye, a former minister, noted that SDP has the programmes to move the country forward, with its focus on delivering development through good governance.
“Just two days ago, a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Party (APC) in Adamawa (Emmanuel Bello) joined SDP with about 16,000 of his supporters.
“So many people have also indicated interest to join the party from across other political parties, we are expecting more people soon,” he said. SDP ‘s war chest The SDP is happy at the moment because besides Professors Jerry Gana, who is now the Chairman of the party’s National Steering Committee and Adeniran, it has harvested the likes of a former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali’ a Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, who is now the National Vice Chairman of the party for the North-West.
The membership of the party’s NWC includes Dr. Abdul Ahmed Isiaq, Deputy National Chairman; Shehu Musa Gabam, National Secretary; Sen. Ebezezer Ikeyina, National Vice Chairman, South East; Barrister Supo Sonibare, National Vice Chairman, South West; and Sen. E.B Henshaw, National Vice Chairman, SouthSouth.
Other NWC members are Barrister Joseph Abu, National Legal Adviser; Chief Nnamdi Clarkson, National Treasurer; Barrister Emeka Atuma, National Organising Secretary; Kehinde Ayoola, National Financial Secretary; Alh. Alfa Muhammed, Deputy National Publicity Secretary; Lady Maryam Batubu, Women Leader, and Comrade Stanley Nwaka; Youth Leader.
Mr. Adakole Ijogi and Mr. Akinbode Oluyemi are to serve in the Communication Strategy Committee; while Chief Olu Falae remains the national chairman of the party.
Chief Falae during the inauguration of the NWC last week said the part is in contact with various political movements, and that they would welcome everybody into its fold without discrimination.
“We are in dialogue with many of them and the dialogue is positive. You will hear more news. SDP is a very ambitious party. If all Nigerians decide to join SDP, I will welcome them all,” he said when asked to clarify the insinuation that the SDP was the platform for Third Force Movement for 2019.
A former Minister of Transportation during the military administration of the late General Sani Abacha, Chief Ebenezer Babatope told the Daily Trust on Sunday that the SDP is long dead and buried.
Babatope, currently a member of the PDP Board of Trustee and a former chieftain of the SDP said notwithstanding the re-enactment of the name, the old SDP created by the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida in the aborted Third Republic, will never come to life again.
Also, some PDP chieftains whose names were dropped as new entrants into the SDP have disputed the claim.
For instance, a former Minister of the Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe, and a former Chief of Staff to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mike Oghiadomhe, said they did not join the SDP and do not have intention of doing so.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alfa Mohammed, said five serving governors, 20 senators and some members of the House of Representatives are set to join the Social Democratic Party but this could not be substantiated.
He said, “In the next two to three weeks, the mass movement into the SDP will become more pronounced especially at the national and state Houses of Assembly and I am sure that the party will soon become the majority at the National Assembly.”
He said that the national secretariat of the party had directed all state offices to commence registration of new members at ward levels. Background In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the SDP was created to encompass the ideals of a centre left political organization. It was also seen as a moderate party with a flavour for young radical intellectuals and socialists. In its manifesto, it called for concerted efforts to improve the people’s welfare and fight for social justice and became so popular after the banning of 13 prospective parties by the administration of Ibrahim Babangida in 1989.
A few of the “illegal” associations decided to re-align. The defunct People’s Front of Nigeria (PFN), People’s Solidarity Party (PSP) and the Nigerian Labour Party (NLP) were the three main inchoate groups that emerged to form the core constituency of the new SDP with Ambassador Babagana Kingibe as its first chairman.
Findings show that at that time, its members included ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Jerry Gana, the late Abubakar Rimi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the late Umaru Yar’Adua, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Dapo Sarumi, and Mohammed Arzika.
Most of them later became senior figures in the PDP in 1998.
However, in an interview with the Daily Trust on Sunday, spokesman of Atiku Media Office, Mr Paul Ibe said the Waziri Adamawa is a member of the PDP.
Analysts believe that for any political party to make headway, it needs not only money but people in the corridors of power. For now, the SDP has former leaders who are far from the corridors of power and only time would tell if it would make the desired impact next year.