The leadership of the Social Democratic Party in the South West has denied knowledge of any intention by former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, to join the party with the aim of securing its presidential ticket for the 2027 general election.
The South West Zonal Leader of the SDP, Hon Mulikat Adeola Akande, made this known on Saturday during an iftar event she organised for all members of the party across the 11 Local Government Areas within Ibadan city.
Addressing the gathering, Akande distanced the South West zonal leadership from opposition efforts against the former Kaduna State Governor within his state, emphasizing that no one should be discouraged from joining the SDP since politics is a game of numbers.
She stated, “Politics is a game of numbers, and anybody who wants to come into the SDP is welcome, as long as they are ready to play by the rules of the party and not with the intention of taking the party from those who have remained steadfast.”
“As the leader of the SDP in the South West, I’m not aware that the intention of the former Governor to join the party is to get the party’s presidential ticket.”
Assuring members of the party, Akande reiterated that the SDP would field tested and trusted candidates for elective positions in Oyo State in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
Reflecting on her political journey, Hon Akande, who served as the representative of Ogbomoso North/South and Oriire Federal Constituency between 2007 and 2015 under the Peoples Democratic Party, explained her reason for leaving the PDP, describing it as an experience of betrayal.
“I ran for Senate, and we worked for the present governor of the state, Governor Seyi Makinde. While we were working for him, he was working against me. It was something I have never seen before—it was a total betrayal,” she lamented.
During the event, Akande was flanked by the Oyo State SDP Chairman, Michael Ogunlade, and Akintola Ezekiel, Director of National Mobilisation and Strategy for Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd), the 2023 presidential candidate of the Action Alliance. The leaders encouraged members to register in their wards and obtain their voter cards.
Akande advised, “You don’t just sit down and say you want to win an election and then go and bring out anybody. We must have the right candidates—someone tested and trusted, who has integrity. Someone reliable, who will work for the people and not just for themselves. Those are the qualities we are looking for.”
Earlier, Barrister Michael Ogunlade welcomed new members who defected from Action Alliance and other parties to the SDP, assuring them of equal opportunities within the party. He also noted that the iftar was organised to foster unity among members in the spirit of Ramadan and to discuss strategies to strengthen the party in the state.
