*SDP dismisses reports, says party structures still intact
By; TINA PHINEAS, Yola
As the nation prepares for the 2023 presidential elections, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has collapsed its North-East structure into the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The party also declared support for the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who is seeking reelection.
Leading the defection, North East zonal chairman of the party, Danjuma Chikel said the SDP took the decision after a thorough assessment of the chances of their own candidates across the northeast region in the forthcoming general elections.
Chikel, who made this known during a meeting with Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri in Yola, said 22 out of 34 Working Committee members of the party and 17 of the 21 local government chairmen dumped the SDP.
He decried the difficulty imposed on the masses by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration and restated their decision to work for the victory of Atiku Abubakar as President.
“We have decided to join the winning team by collapsing our structures to support Atiku Abubakar and Governor Fintiri,” Chikel said.
He pledged that the decampees will mobilize massively for the victory of all PDP candidates.
Responding, Governor Fintiri thanked the defectors for taking a bold decision in the interest of the country and the state, assuring them that they will not regret it.
He frowned at the challenges bedeviling the country at the moment, saying the Atiku project should be for the good of the country, calling on the defectors to come out en masse on election day to vote for all PDP candidates come Saturday 25 February.
In a swift reaction, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Adamawa State, has dismissed the reported collapse of its structures into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A statement by the organizing secretary of the party, Hon Aziz Jibrilla urged the general public to disregard the purported fusion of the party as no such thing ever happened.
“The attention of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Adamawa State Chapter has been drawn to a claim that, the Party’s structure has been fused into PDP.
“If not for putting the records straight, there should be no need to respond to falsehood and dubious action aimed to shortchange Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri and his Party because the Organizer rented crowd to deceive his target which has been his stock in trade.
“As a political force to reckon with in the forth-coming 2023 General Elections, the action is nothing more than show of desperation by the opposition PDP to create confusion using few unpatriotic and unprincipled elements among many just to attract political point.
“The claim by Danjuma Chikel that, 22 State Party Executives and 17 Local Government Chairmen of our Party (SDP) is untrue as we remain intact and ready to wrestle power on the 11th March, as newly elected Government by Adamawa electorate.
“We therefore, call on our Party faithfuls and supporters to remain calm and focus in the task of canvassing for Votes in all nook and crannies of the State until victory is attained.
“We also appeal to the Adamawa electorate to disregard the claim with a view to Vote for Dr. Umar Ardo as the next Governor with other candidates under SDP so that the state can be rescued from bad governance,” the statement said.
