By Hammed Salawu, Minna
The Social Democratic Party SDP has said that it will conduct a primary election soon to pick its governorship standard bearer for the July election in Ekiti state.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party Alhaji Alfa Mohammed in a statement issued at the weekend made available to newsmen in Minna Niger state said all those angling for the governorship ticket of the party should be prepared to put their popularity to test before delegates at such a primary election.
Alfa Mohammed’s statement clarified a recent development in the SDP in Ekiti state where one of the governorship candidates had claimed he had been endorsed as the flag bearer of the party for the July election.
“The SDP does not believe in candidates adoption and at no time has or would the SDP at the state or national level adopt any aspirant as the party candidates for the governorship election in Ekiti state or anywhere in Nigeria.
“Candidates adoption or imposition amount to impunity and negates the principles of democracy, level playing ground and justice which form the key parts of SDP credo”
Alfa Mohammed said the SDP was “aware that Ekiti State is blessed with highly educated men and women of integrity, which many of them have joined the Governorship race on the platform of SDP.”
He therefore advised all the aspirants in the governorship race in Ekiti and other states in the country “to be ready to subject themselves to a free and fair party primary election and stop seeking any unholy adoption by any caucus or group pretending or claiming to be speaking for the party”.
Alfa Mohammed however commended what he described as “the wisdom of all the Ekiti-ketes, that include former and serving senators, ministers, political appointees captains of industries, retired bankers, technocrats, business moguls, , okada riders, market women, students and Youths who have been defecting from their various political parties to join SDP in its quest to enthrone credible leadership and institutionalize a rewarding New Political order in Ekiti State in particular and Nigeria in general”.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary said very soon the template to be used for the conduct of the primary election would be released to all stakeholders.
The party he said appealed to all aspirants and their supporters to ensure they avoid any act that would create unnecessary crisis and consequently “derail our march to victory”.
