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Tag: Social Democratic Party

  • Go for political offices, SDP urges Youths

    The leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ondo State on Saturday urged youths to actively participate in politics in order to be part of the decision-making body that would shape the future of the country.

    Its chairman, Korede Duyile, spoke at the official declaration of Tajudeen Adefisoye,a youth, contesting  the seat of Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency.

    Duyile said the masses were tired of voting the same set of people with the same ideology.

    The chairman said the party was on ground and most people that had shown interest in various positions were from notable and credible family that were well known to him, coming from Idanre himself.

    Read Also: Angry youths set Area Commander’s Office ablaze

    He said “Our membership is already increasing in Idanre and in the state, more people are seeing our party and a credible platform,especially the youths, to fulfil their dreams,” he said.

    Also speaking, Tajudeen Adefisoye, who is in his mid-thirties, said he decided to run on the platform of SDP, because it had plans to allow youths to vie for positions.

    Adefisoye said he decided to be part of the real change and liberate the people of Idanre and Ifedore by bringing meaningful development to the constituency.

    According to him,” I am already assured of victory,there is no development in this town, we can’t be sending same old men to be representing us always.”

    At the event, Adefisoye was presented with the flag of the party, officially, and was charged to continue to promote the party in and outside the state.

  • 2019: Fight for political offices, Youths urged

    Youths in Ondo state have been charged to actively participate in politics and be part of stakeholders in the decision-making to overhaul the future of the country.

    The state chairman of the Social Democratic Party(SDP), Korede Duyile, gave the charge at the official declaration of a youth leader, Tajudeen Adefisoye for the seat of Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency in the 2019 election.

    Duyile said the masses were tired of voting the old set of people with the same ideology.

    The chairman said SDP was on ground and most people that had shown interest in various positions were from notable and credible families that were well known to him as an indigene of Idanre himself.

    Read Also: Youth Party removes barrier for aspiring youths

    He said “Our membership is already increasing in Idanre and in the state, more people are seeing our party as a credible platform,especially the youths, to fulfil their dreams”.

    Adefisoye, who is in his mid-thirties, said he decided to run on the platform of SDP, because it had plans to allow youths to seek political positions.

    Adefisoye said he decided to be part of the real change and liberate the people of Idanre and Ifedore by bringing meaningful development to the constituency.

    According to him,” I am already assured of victory,there is no development in this town, we can’t be sending same old men to be representing us always.”

    The Aspirant was later presented with the flag of the party and urged to continue promoting the party within and outside the state.

  • ‘Youths are not encouraged to participate in politics’

    Yemi Lawal recently assumed the position of Osun State Youth Leader for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) after his principal, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, and others left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) earlier in the year. He speaks on the future of SDP and the plan of the youths to be more actively involved in the politics of the state ahead 2019, reports Adetutu Audu

    WITH the passage of the Not Too Young to run Bill into law, many Nigerian youths have decided to join the political train ahead of 2019 General Elections.

    For Yemi Lawal, the Social Democratic Party, Youth Leader in Osun State, youth inclusiveness in politics and transition is key. According to him, his mandate and objectives are very clear; the younger generation has been neglected and ignored in the times past and it is time to take the bull by the horn.

    “We can’t continue to do things the same way and expect a different result. So, the mandate is youth inclusiveness in politics and transition into governance,” he said.

    Commenting on the #nottooyoungtorun bill passed into law amidst jubilation in most quarters. He said that the bill should be embraced by the youths so as to show the older generation that the youths are actually useful by getting involved more in politics and making positive impacts in the entire society.

    So, what does their movement from the People’s Democratic Party to SDP portend for Chief Iyiola Omisore and many PDP faithful that also defected?  He said that Otunba Iyiola Omisore and a host of others decamped to the SDP basically out of principle. “Like I said earlier, you don’t expect a different result doing things the same way. As we can all see in 2015, Nigerians voted for change which has brought us where we are today in Osun State and Nigeria as a whole, and as a patriotic Nigerian, there is need to be pragmatic and find a  credible alternative that can begin to do things differently  because we cannot continue like this,” he noted.

    Lawal also described Omisore’s governorship ambition as a deviation from the past, adding; “We shall begin to do things differently and feel the positive impact of democracy. Democracy is about the people and nothing but the people; anything you are doing without a positive impact on the populace can never be regarded as dividends of democracy but things done for self-aggrandizement”.

    Asked if youths in Osun State have been fairly included in governance and if they have enjoyed the dividends of democracy, he said “youths have not been adequately encouraged to participate in politics not to talk of governance. We are here to change the rhetoric and do things right. Youths are usually the engine room of any nation and the involvement of youths in governance cannot be overemphasised’.

    On the plans of SDP in the coming elections, Lawal said SDP have shown intention to lead and that is what makes the difference. “Leadership is totally different from ruler ship and what we are experiencing today in Osun State is ruler ship and like I have been saying, we need a totally different approach to governance, which is what SDP is coming to do.

    “Our government is going to have more of people with technical capability to manage various sectors and people with youthful energy that can withstand pressure and make things happen.  The youths in Osun are going to have the opportunity to have a government that would be close to them, understand their needs and the opportunity of taking part in decision making as it affects the teeming populace,” he said.

    The present administration, he also alleged, “failed in terms of youth development and engagement. For instance, it seems impossible for the commissioner for youths, whose age is not youthful, to bond with the teeming youths. The state Youth Leader of the APC is a grandfather; how does this combine to ensure youth development when the contacts are not even youths. It is important to note that we must begin to put the right people in the right position if we expect to have a good and positive impact,” he said.

  • Ekiti 2018: PDP, APC overheating Ekiti ahead of poll, Says SDP candidate

    Says party will transform Ekiti

    The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ekiti State, Mr Akinloye Ayegbusi has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of overheating the state ahead of July 14 governorship election.

    The SDP candidate noted that the two parties have engaged each other’s  in war of attrition raising false accusations and counter accusations rather than tell the electorates what they have in stock for them.

    Ayegbusi caution the APC and the PDP to stop dragging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into their messy war, and face their campaign based on issues.

    Ayegbusi who stated this as the ward-to-ward campaign of the SDP moved to communities in Ekiti East Local Government Area, said that the mandate he is seeking is not for self, saying that God has blessed him already.

    He said that he threw his heart into the political ring to help to liberate the people from poverty and untold hardship occasioned by the misrule of the APC and the PDP administrations.

    Some of the communities the campaign team of SDP reached included Omuo, Isinbode and Ilasa where Ayegbusi canvassed for votes.

    The first port of call was Isinbode where the SDP candidate paid homage to the monarch, the Onisin, Oba Emmanuel Adeyemi. He appealed to the royal father to support the SDP for the much desired dividend of democracy to reach the community.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: INEC distributes non-sensitive materials

    He charged the people of the area to think of their future before casting their votes, noting that their future lies in the SDP government which will bring back prosperity to Ekiti state.

    The Onisin later prayed for Ayegbusi success at the coming poll. He urged his followers to embrace peace before and during the election.

    At Omuo, huge crowd welcomed Ayegbusi from Kota axis of the town. The SDP candidate immediately moved to the palace to paid homage to the Olomuo, Oba

    Noah Omonigbehin. He expressed happiness with the show of support by the crowd.

    At Ilasa, the residents converged in front of the palace of the Alasa to welcome Ayegbusi who urged them to vote SDP which has come with a rescue mission. He said a vote for SDP is a vote for employment, poverty reduction and social welfare for elderly.

    “That the  people of Ekiti East local government trooped out in large number to welcome us today, is a testimony to the fact that people are ready to liberate themselves from the bad governance foisted on them.

    “Our plan for this community, as a border town, if you vote for us in July 14, is to create infrastructures that will aide trade between this community and the neighboring states.,” he said.

  • ANA commend Buhari on June 12, Abiola

    The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos Chapter has commended the posthumously national honours conferred Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO), that late human rights activist, Chief Ganiu Okikiola Fawehinmi (SAN) and Babagana Kingibe.

    While noting that the annulment of the June 12 Presidential election, won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO) under the then Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993, which was adjudged the freest in the history of Nigeria, was of great impediment to national unity and peace within the polity, it described the move of President Muhammed Buhari in resuscitating of the issues of June 12 and efforts to right the wrongs of the era as a step in the right direction.

    “The announcement of June 12 as the new democracy day as against May 29 is courageous and symbolic of empathy with an average Nigerian who have lost faith in the nation’s leadership particularly, at the centre, as well as in our electoral system since the annulment of the June 12 election in 1993 by IBB and the eventual murder of the symbol of the epoch-making electoral exercise.

    “We recall, with nostalgia, the philanthropic gestures and display of love for education and the arts, and we regret the absence of Chief Abiola, especially as the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos Chapter, prepares to host an international convention, after over 30 years, in October.

    “We can imagine the kind of support ANA, Lagos, could have received from the late chief, Concord Group of Newspaper and Concord Airline, among his inheritances which were scuttled and destroyed by the military government of General Sanni Abacha, apart from the dear Kudirat Abiola which was equally wasted in the struggle to recover the mandate from the military.

    Read Also: The Epetedo declaration by MKO Abiola

    The group, in a statement in a release signed by the Chairman, Publicity Sub-Committee, ANA 2018 International Convention, Feyi-Abiodun Samson Oyeniyi, also called for the Investigation of the mysterious murder of late Dele Giwa, a renowned journalist and Funsho Williams, while recalling the courage displayed by Prof Humphrey Nwosu and Prof Atairu Jega during the 1993 and 2015 elections.

    “Furthermore, we urge the federal government to remember to honour, in whichever befitting ways, several others, who though, were part of the fights to install this presently evolving democracy, who may not be as prominent as Chief M.K.O Abiola, Gani Fawehinmi, Prof Wole Soyinka, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Femi Falana, among others, but whose efforts cannot be discarded as they were ingredients for the realisation of a done dream for a democratic nation,” it stated.

  • ‘I’m the David that’ll bring down Ekiti Goliaths’

    He is not so tall but 44 years-old Social Democratic Party (SDP) gubernatorial candidate, Akinloye Ayegbusi, says he is the underdog that is about to upset all calculations as he is set to change the course of history in Ekiti State. He spoke with Assistant Editor, Jide Babalola

    YOU are 44 years old and running for governorship of Ekiti State on the platform of SDP. Do you really see the passage of the Not Too Young to Run Bill into law as a potential source of encouragement for daring young Nigerians?

    As much as possible, any nation that plays with the destiny of its youths is actually playing with its future. If you look at the trend worldwide now, we now have 29-39-years old becoming presidents, which shows that the world is actually handing over the mantle of leadership to the young generation.

    Unfortunately, some of the African countries and Nigeria in particular are so used to the old faces that it is as if they are legends that will never fade away. When I was in primary school, we were reading about Obasanjo, Gowon, Buhari and in my early secondary school days too, we read about so many of these old leaders and yet they are still there.

    The question is when will the youths take over the mantle of leadership and will the country ever move forward?

    How long have you been in politics and how did you emerge as SDP governorship candidate in Ekiti?

    There was no godfather of any kind. I will say it is just God at work. I had never been in politics before. In fact, as at March 15 this year, I was not thinking about politics at all as part of my plans for this year. I was thinking about something else. But then, the calls came and with the pressure from everywhere, with people saying ‘You can do this’. So, I decided to give it a try.

    When I got to the party, I met four very strong people on ground. One was a Former Deputy Governor and a former Managing Director of Wema Bank; the other was a former ambassador of Nigeria to Canada and another was a Secretary to the State Government to Segun Oni, while the last was a former Deputy Inspector General of Police and a serving member of House of Representatives. So, I was the only greenhorn and real underdog among them.

    When we started, I was grounded because I didn’t have anything but I was very aggressive about it by going round all the local government areas and 177 wards. I visited everywhere. We had campaigns and town hall meetings and we went to all the campuses. I had to let the youths know that this is the only opportunity that we have; it is either now or never. It is either you take your destiny in your hand or never. There is joblessness and there is no policy of industrialisation to move them to the next level.

    Don’t you feel intimidated by the existing structures of APC and PDP in Ekiti State, especially with people like Governor Ayo Fayose?

    Fayose is a spent force; Fayemi is a spent force too. Quote me, they said they are sending 77 men to help him for election. He didn’t ask for 77 men to come and help revamp the economy in Ekiti, he did not seek 77 people to come and address the hungry people in Ekiti. I know what they call them in Ekiti.

    So, what do they call you in Ekiti?

    They call me David. I am the David that will bring down the Goliaths of Ekiti.

    What are your plans for the people of Ekiti; what do you intend to do to make a difference?

    We found out that presently, the state is generating less that N400 million as Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) per month. And that brings Ekiti State to the position of being second to the last in poverty index in Nigeria. Out of 36, we are number 35. We need to move Ekiti State forward. One of those things that we found out is that over time, when Awolowo was working to develop the Western Region in those days, he saw that human capital will be generated in Ekiti. But because we did not harness our blessings and potentials very well, we ended up becoming teachers and lecturers.

    I was at a professor’s house (in Ekiti) and you will be shocked with what I saw there: the level of poverty he is going through while he carries a big title! This is supposed to be one of the highest paid individuals in the world. When you get to places like Abeokuta, their focus is more entrepreneurship inclined and that is why you have all sorts of businesses there and they are still thriving but in Ekiti we do not have anything.

    We need to open up the economy of Ekiti and we need to open up the minds of the people in Ekiti. We have to tell them that you cannot earn ₦18,000 minimum wage continuously and break even. Sise sise, omo aseje; s’owo s’owo, omo ase la.  We need to encourage people to do business and prosper.

    How do we intend to achieve that?

    I am sure you heard about the Yunis Foundation that trained and developed a lot of microfinance initiatives worldwide. We intend to bring such to Ekiti and establish microfinance initiatives everywhere in Ekiti so that a woman that wants to start a small scale business of selling palm-oil or kola nut which is wasting away in Ekiti will be empowered. That is the only way we can generate higher IGR. We can empower women who can package various products to other parts of the country where such is in high demand.

    How much is the debt profile of Ekiti State?

    The debt profile of Ekiti State is over N57 billion, which is a lot of money whereas Lagos is generating over N50billon every month and Ekiti is still on N400 million and we have cashew seeds everywhere in Ekiti and nobody is doing anything about it. These are things that make real money anywhere in the world. If you make people realise the economic value of those things, you will see supply and demand.

    I heard sometime that Nigeria is exporting yam. How can we be exporting yam when we can supply it to pharmaceutical companies to produce starch here. We can add value to it here and make much more from it and spend less to export the value-added product instead of the raw yam. And then, a whole Minister of Agriculture was celebrating the exportation of raw yams!

    Will you be considering asking the EFCC to step in and investigate the preceding administrations like that of Fayemi and Fayose as well as the management of resources in Ekiti State?

    I don’t want to distract myself with the investigation of past leaders because I will have so much to do than looking for scapegoats. It is not part of my agenda. If they have problems, they can sort themselves with EFCC. The level of deprivation right now is terrible; both graduates and skilled employees are being exported to different parts of the world while some graduates are here riding okada; it is sad. It is so sad that the only way that many leaders empower the youths now is by buying them okada. An honourable member of the legislature, after my visit to his constituency and being well received, the next day, he gave the people there 100 motorcycles (Okada). Things have gotten so bad that even the little children don’t have role models any longer. There are just so many problems that we need to address.

  • SDP to Buhari: Ngerian Youths are creative, hardworking

    The Social Democratic Party, (SDP), has declared that Nigerian youths are very creative and hardworking.

    This is contrary to the statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    SDP said tagging Nigerian youths as lazy as done by the president: “is the worst form of blackmail and character assassination that can ever be visited on the ever promising Nigerian youths”.

    National Publicity Secretary of the party Alfa Mohammed said in a statement on Sunday and made available to The Nation that: ” instead of marketing the resilience, creativity and productivity of Nigerian youths before  investors abroad, Mr President chose to de -market them.

    “The president’s claim exposes his ignorance of the great achievements and the breakthroughs in the film, music, sports industries and entrepreneurship for which our youths are being applauded internationally

    “Despite the prevailing economic hostilities created by poor government policies millions of Nigerian youths  still troop out daily  to the s factories, farms and offices to struggle to make ends meet”.

    Alfa Mohammed said it was therefore slanderous and libelous to tag such generation of youths as lazy.

    Mohammed said: “By all standards, Nigerian youths are the most hardworking and productive youths on earth.”

  • ‘Sdp has not endorsed candidate for Ekiti poll’

    The leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has denied endorsing any candidate for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.

    The  Chairman, Ayo Adekola, had told reporters earlier that the party has adopted former Deputy Governor Adebisi Omoyeni as the consensus candidate.

    Adekola said the decision to adopt Omoyeni was taken to avert internal crisis in the wake of the influx of new members from other political parties.

    But, the SDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yemi Akinbode, said the party  was established on the rule of law and due process.

    He said the party will allow the will of the people to prevail.

    Akinbode stressed that the relevant organs of the party was preparing guidelines for party primary to be used nationwide.

    He said the party will never act with impunity or join the gang of political parties whose cabals impose candidates.

    Akinbode saidadded “The attention of the SDP leadership has been drawn to a media report mischievously claiming that a “consensus candidate” has been chosen by the SDP.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, nothing of such (Omoyeni’s adoption) happened. We are genuine democrats committed to the rule of law, rules and regulations, due process and the will of the people.”

  • Head of Romanian ruling party hit with new corruption allegations

    Head of Romanian ruling party hit with new corruption allegations

    Romania’s public prosecutors have levied new corruption accusations against Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the country’s ruling Social Democratic party (PSD), who has already been convicted of electoral fraud.

    Dragnea, also speaker of the lower house of parliament, is accused of founding a “criminal group” and using it to embezzle EU funds worth some 20.6 million euros (24 million dollars), the prosecutors’ Anti-Corruption Unit (DNA) said on Monday.

    The unit launched its investigation after a 2016 ruling by the European Commission’s European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

    Dragnea is accused of securing an EU-supported contract for his company Teldrum to repair roads in the southern Romanian district of Teleorman when he was leader of the regional parliament.

    He is charged with abusing his office to obtain access to confidential information and overcharging the state, causing damages of equivalent to 6.8 million euros on the contract, state prosecutors said in a statement.

    Dragnea’s legal difficulties have clouded Romanian politics since his PSD party won the December 2016 election.

    In April 2016, he was found guilty of electoral fraud and given a two-year suspended sentence, barring him from becoming prime minister.

    As head of the ruling party, Dragnea is believed to exercise control over the government from behind the scenes and considered the most powerful politician in the country.

    Dragnea also faces trial for incitement to abuse of office because he arranged for PSD employees to be paid by the Child Protection Office without working there.

    Romania’s DNA has made headway against widespread corruption in the country in recent years but has continued to fight attempts by politicians to water down its power.

  • PDP NEC considers report of alleged violations by Fayose

    PDP NEC considers report of alleged violations by Fayose

    The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday received reports detailing alleged violations and acts of impunity by the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
    The senator representing Ekiti South senatorial district, Senator Biodun Olujimi, was said to have tabled the report at the NEC meeting, which also had Fayose in attendance.
    Fayose has been at daggers drawn with a number of party stakeholders in Ekiti, including federal lawmakers, state assembly members and party officials at the national level.
    The disagreement got to a peak when the governor nominated his deputy, Prof Olusola Eleka as his successor in the governorship election coming up in 2018.
    Other intending aspirants, including Olujimi, had protested the governor’s action, describing it as an act of impunity and total disregard for the party’s constitution.
    Briefing journalists shortly after the NEC meeting that lasted till 8pm, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the meeting took note of the complaints against the governor and the matter was being looked into.
    According to him, the party leadership would take appropriate actions against the governor to avoid what he described as “catastrophic consequences” in the governorship election.
    Adeyeye also said that a former governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja who recently defected to the PDP from the Accord Party had been granted a waiver.
    Also granted waivers was Mr. Seyi Makinde who defected to the PDP from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and several others that joined the party about the same time.
    Waivers were also extended to others who recently joined the PDP in Anambra State. All the beneficiaries of the waiver have been accorded the same rights and privileges enjoyed by existing party members.
    The party spokesman further stated that the NEC approved the December 9 date for the convention and also approved guidelines for state congresses and the convention as well.
    The NEC also approved certain amendments to the party’s constitution that would be ratified at the convention.