Members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of SDP in Ondo State have declared on Thursday that the party would be awaiting a directive from Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye on the choice of governorship candidate that the party will support in the October 10, 2020 election.
This decision was taken on
Thursday, September 10, 2020, after extensive deliberation by the members of the State Executive Committee of SDP and all the councillorship candidates of the party during the recently conducted local government election in Ondo State. The way forward by the party on the recently conducted local government election as well as the fast-approaching governorship election were the major discussions at the meeting.
It was however agreed at the meeting that the State Executive Committee of the SDP would defer to the National Leader of the party, Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye for a directive on who to support out of the three leading governorship candidates.
The statement which was issued and made available to the media on Thursday by the SDP State Party Secretary, Dr. Shola Agboola reads in parts :
“After a thorough appraisal of pertinent issues, and particularly on the need to throw the massive support weight of SDP behind one of the three leading gubernatorial candidates; a decision was taken to defer to the National Leader of the party and the member representing Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency, Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye for a directive in this regard.
“The decision to support a governorship candidate has become necessary in view of recent events within SDP and the prevailing political realities in Ondo State. It is also noted with concern that the massive grassroots support enjoyed by SDP across the state as well as the overwhelming popularity of Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye should be rightly deployed to enhance the victory of any preferred governorship candidate”.
However, the party lamented the fact that the offer of an automatic governorship ticket of SDP given to Adefisoye was declined. Although members of the State Executive made it clear that the decision of Adefisoye was respected, they insisted that the federal lawmaker should have put his overwhelming popularity to test in the governorship election.
“Members of the State Executive Committee, the councillorship candidates and indeed SDP supporters across Ondo State however lament the declining of the offer of automatic governorship ticket of our party that was given to Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye. Although his reason that the idea of running for governorship at this time may be premature is nonetheless convincing.
“Still, the decision of Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye not to run for governorship has however denied SDP the chance of presenting a formidable governorship candidate in the gubernatorial contest of Ondo State. It is also the opinion of the majority of SDP members that Hon. Adefisoye could have leveraged on his massive followers, generational advantage, and widespread acceptability to prove a point during the October 10, 2020 governorship election of Ondo State”, the statement stressed.