SDP says it is still in Ekiti governorship race

The Social Democratic Party has denied claims that it pulled out of Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State. The party called the reports fake and misleading.

In a statement on Friday in Abuja, the SDP National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, said their candidate, Isaac Alade, is still in the race and is recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Aiyenigba told voters that the party’s name will be on the ballot. He urged people to ignore what he called false withdrawal notices from “political jobbers.”

He said, “The Ekiti electorate and members of the public are hereby assured by the National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, and the National Working Committee that the SDP is on the ballot. Our candidate, Isaac Alade, the validly nominated candidate who signed the INEC Peace Pact, remains strongly in contention for the election.”

The party accused some unnamed individuals of spreading lies to confuse voters before the poll.

Aiyenigba also expressed worries about INEC's refusal to let the party upload the names of its polling unit agents. He claimed the electoral body gave access codes to the party’s national secretariat but did not open the portal for uploads.

According to him, the INEC officials at the national headquarters did not allow the necessary uploads. The party feels this could hurt the election's credibility.

“The SDP hereby declares that in an election such as this, where the actions and inactions of the electoral umpire show a clear bias, the outcome becomes a nullity. The deliberate locking out of agents of a major opposition party like the SDP by the commission erodes the credibility of the election,” the statement said.

Reaffirming its commitment to the election, the SDP described itself as a trustworthy alternative that can bring about good governance, fair socio-economic development, and shared prosperity for the people of Ekiti State.

The party also promised to keep fighting for transparent and credible elections as part of its role in Nigeria’s democratic growth.