By MBACHU GODWIN, Abuja
Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party , SDP, in next year’s general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo has declared that his party will prioritize competence over ethnic or regional politics , adding that he will defeat the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the poll.
Addressing Journalists, Adebayo, who stated that he is not intimidated by challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election despite the duo coming from the same zone ,noted that hunger, Poverty , insecurity and hardship in the country is more important than regional politics.
The presidential hopeful said that he is more concerned about the survival of millions of Nigerians battling hunger, unemployment and rising living costs than regional identity.
“We don’t think like that in SDP. A hungry person in the South West is still hungry. Someone buying petrol at outrageous prices won’t care about regional identity”.
The SDP flagbearer said the focus of his party would be on addressing the economic hardship confronting ordinary Nigerians through policies centred on education, healthcare, jobs and social welfare.
According Adebayo , the SDP represents a different ideological direction from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which he accused the Tinubu government of prioritising politics over governance.
“SDP is the party that has solutions to your social problems. It’s a party meant for ordinary people. When you wake up in the morning, you think about feeding your family, transport costs, education, food, healthcare, jobs and survival, those are the issues social democratic party focuses on”, he said.
He argued that unlike the APC, which he claimed to have focused mainly on electoral victories, the SDP is committed to improving the living conditions of Nigerians.
“A social democrat won’t wake up and remove subsidy without thinking about the impact on transport, food, housing, jobs and people’s savings”
Speaking on the crisis rocking the party Adebayo said “Once you start with something being in court, especially someone who is at the risk of losing his liberty and facing a criminal trial, it is unethical for me to comment on it”, he said.
He, however, informed that party officials must be held accountable while due process is respected.
“If you want to discipline somebody, you have to follow the law, and if you are facing disciplinary action, you have to respect it”.
The SDP candidate also condemned the invasion of the party secretariat during the crisis, accusing the police of complicity.
“It’s the police that brought them, and the police used them to pull down the gates because they didn’t want to do it themselves”, he alleged.
Adebayo further accused the ruling APC of attempting to destabilise opposition parties through infiltration.
APC Declares Oye-Ikole Federal Constituency Primary Election Inconclusive
….As Karounwi, Bamisile, Okoro, Olarewaju, Fatoba emerge as candidates
All Progressives Congress ,APC, Primary Election Committee for the House of Representatives in Ekiti State has declared the primary election for Oye-Ikole Federal Constituency inconclusive, following controversies and crisis that trailed the exercise.
The Committee, however, announced Olusola Fatoba as the winner for Ado/Irepodun; Oladapo Karounwi, Ijero/Ekiti West/ Efon; Femi Bamisile, Ekiti East/Emure/Gbonyin; Toyin Okoro, Ikere/Ekiti South West/Ise-Orun; and Ibrahim Olarewaju, Ilejemeje/ Ido-Osi/Moba Federal constituency.
Announcing the results in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, the Chairman of the Committee and Chief Returning Officer, Asipa Wasiu Adedoyin, said the National Working Committee ,NWC, of the party would review the outcome of the inconclusive Oye-Ikole federal constituency and make final pronouncement on the matter.
He explained that there is no provision or window for a re-run, noting that the party leadership would determine the final course of action in line with its internal rule and guidelines to ensure fairness and party unity.
In the announced results, the incumbent, Mr Steve Olusola Fatoba of Ekiti central Federal Constituency 1 was declared winner having polled 8,943 votes against Tope Ogunleye who scored 1,760.
‎
‎In Ekiti Central Federal Constituency II, Oladapo Karounwi scored the highest number of votes to emerge the winner with 6573 votes to defeat Biodun Omoleye who scored 1,412 votes and Victor Kolade who polled 2,096.
‎
‎Toyin Okoro secured victory with 9,798 votes in Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1, defeating Rufus Ojuawo who scored 1,842 votes and Idowu Alabi who polled 1395 votes.
‎
‎In Ekiti South Federal Constituency II, Mr. Femi Bamisile defeated other aspirants after polling 4379 votes.
‎
‎Similarly, Ibraheem Olanrewaju emerged winner in Ekiti North Federal Constituency II with 6,856 votes, beating incumbent, Kolawole Akinlayo who polled 2102 votes and others.
‎
Also present at the venue of the collated results were, Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, State Party Chairman, Bar Olusola Eleshin and other party leaders.
