Ondo SDP Describes Suspension Of Its National Chairman, Agunloye As Untrue, Fabricated

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ondo state has described as false alarm and fake, the news that Dr. Olu Agunloye has been suspended as the National Chairman of the Party.

In a statement signed by the State Chairman of SDP, Stephen Adewale and his Secretary, Bola Aina and made available to journalists on Friday in Akure says; “the Ondo State Social Democratic Party (SDP) has been alerted to a fake report that initially appeared in the Premium Times on April 21, 2022, with the headline “SDP suspends national chairman over alleged anti-party activities.”

“Since then, the fake story has spread like wildfire. The Ondo SDP is shocked by the falsehood depicted in this report and desires to utilize this means to urge journalists to always seek the truth before publishing any news that may mislead the general public. This irresponsible, unlawful and provocative publication serves as a reminder of what our great party endures daily at the hands of reckless and irresponsible politicians who place their selfish agenda above the party’s interest.

“In view of the misinformation and false reports that have been fed to the media and that have pervaded the public space, there is need to set the records straight. We hereby wish to use this medium to clarify the fictitious, baseless and unsubstantiated assertions for the benefit of our members across the world and the general public.

“We state the following for the record: Dele Ogunbameru who was referred to as the SDP chairman of Ondo State in the fallacious publication ceases to be State Chairman of the party effective from Saturday April 9, 2022 when Congress of our great party was held in Akure, in accordance with the Electoral Provisions and duly overseen by INEC officers who were present to observe the entire proceedings, and the new state leadership emerged. The few elements do not have the locus standi to present themselves as either State or Local Government Executives in Ondo State because their tenure had long and since expired; and they failed to obtain and participate in the election to elect new State and Local Government Executives at the Congress.

“Therefore, on what basis did Ogunbameru and the faceless elements make the pronouncement? If the disgraced former party chairman says he has suspended Dr. Olu Agunloye, the question to ask him is ‘what is his locus?’ He was present at the Congress where the new State Working Committee members were elected but only to gather his friends later and say that his group had suspended Dr. Agunloye simply because the outcome of the congress did not favour him.

“In line with Article 12.9 of our Great Party’s constitution, anyone seeking to be recognised as a member of the Local Government executive must be elected by our Party’s Local Government Congress, while Article 12.10 stated that the Ward executive committee must be elected by our Great Party’s Ward Congress. The party’s constitution does not recognise anyone who appears or claims any sort of leadership in our party outside of the declared constitutional method.

“As a result, the faceless individuals posing as Chairman and Secretary in Akoko North West, as well as the so-called Ward Chairman and Secretary, are neither member nor leaders of our great Party, as none of them has passed through the Party’s Local Government or Ward Congresses. Recently, the 36 State Chairmen of our Great Party, rising from the NEC meeting convened in Abuja to assess the party’s progress, passed a vote of confidence in Agunloye’s leadership after recognising this unconstitutional conspiracy.

“The Chairmen made it clear that, in accordance with our great party’s constitution, the alleged suspension of the Agunloye “by some persons unknown to the party” had no effect.