The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has refuted a claim that it is allied with another political party ahead of the general elections.
At a news conference on Thursday in Abuja, the party’s national publicity secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, urged the public to ignore the “false claim,” claiming that it was not in the interests of the party or the country.
According to Aiyenigba, the party’s attention was drawn to a claim made by “one Alfa Mohammed” that the SDP was thinking about forming an alliance with Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said that Mohammed, a former Deputy National Publicity of the SDP, was no longer a member of the party and could not be speaking for it having been expelled.
Aiyenigba said that the party had at several times disavowed false publications from Mohammed and his disregard for decorum.
Those actions, he said, led to Mohammed being relieved of his position as the deputy publicity secretary of the party in November 2018 before he was suspended from the party in March 2019 by the National Working Committee (NWC).
He added that Mohammed was later expelled by the National Executive Committee (NEC) in August 2019 which was upheld by the subsequent National Convention of the party in June 2022.
“Currently as we speak, Mohammed is a member of the APC and even a strong member of one of the support groups of that party called the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA).
“There is no way a man who is playing such a role in APC could be said to be an official of the SDP.
“It is true to his character for Mohammed who has not been part of any activities of the SDP in four years, that is, since early 2019 but has intermittently pushed fabricated lies to mislead and defraud the public.
“This is with the malicious intent to tarnish the reputation of targeted individuals in the SDP or in other parties under the irrational guise that he is a member of an SDP “faction” and no faction exists in SDP.
Aiyenigba said that Mohammed’s antics were formally reported to the Inspector General of Police in August 2022 and was requested to call him to order over his alleged “impersonation, false pretenses and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace”.
“Mohammed is indeed under watch and investigation for criminal impersonation.
“While the Police continue with its investigation of the mischief by Mohammed, we call on all members of the SDP nationwide and the public to disregard the reckless publications of Mohammed.
“They are false and malevolent and above all, they are not in the interest of social justice or of our pursuit to combat poverty and insecurity in our country,’’ Aiyenigba said.
He said that SDP, along with its Presidential Candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, was not in the 2023 elections race for the fun of it, but to win.
He said that Adebayo had been engaging Nigerians and all critical stakeholders, including the youth on his ambition to win and develop Nigeria.