The Forum of State Chairmen of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has directed prominent opposition figures, including Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Nasir El-Rufai, to adhere to due process if they wish to join the party, emphasizing that new members must be admitted through their respective wards.
Following its inaugural meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the forum, comprising chairmen from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), insisted there would be no preferential treatment for any new entrants.
Last month, former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, announced via his X handle that he had joined the SDP. However, the Kaduna State chapter of the party disowned the claim, stating he was not a recognized member.
SDP Assistant National Secretary (North West), Idris Inuwa, further clarified at a press conference that El-Rufai had yet to complete the necessary registration process.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the forum’s chairman and Lagos State SDP Chairman, Hon. Femi Olaniyi, welcomed the influx of new members, including notable politicians.
However, he stressed that all new members must comply with the party’s internal structures, which are led by state chairmen.
“New members will be admitted and registered through the party’s internal structures, led by the State Chairmen,” Olaniyi stated. “No individual can self-admit or register as a member of the party.”
Regarding ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, the SDP leaders warned that the party’s democratically elected structures at the state and national levels must not be dismantled or altered to accommodate new entrants.
They insisted that elected officials should be allowed to complete their terms without interference.
Admitting that the merger talks with the party may warrant some structural adjustments to accommodate new members, the state chairmen warned that fundamental issues such as changes to the party’s name, logo, insignia, slogan, or any drastic alterations to the party’s Constitution or Manifesto must not be undertaken lightly.
According to them, such issues and changes should be thoroughly discussed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party before any action is taken.
The state chairmen also demanded that consultative and democratic cultures of the party must be maintained and engaged in all decision-making.
This, they argued was “to ensure that the party is open to all Nigerians fairly and transparently and equitably for all legitimate aspirations without subsuming the SDP under the ambitions of individuals, sections or groupings or parochial interests.”
Asked if not threatened of a possible hijack by the opposition heavyweights coming into the party, Olaniyi said the forum is more concerned about certain impostors creating chaos in the party.
“We are not afraid anybody will hijack our party. We are welcoming the influence of new members into the party. But we don’t want those manipulators, especially from APC, PDP or Labour Party, to do a kangaroo registration for them.
“We acknowledge that some structural adjustment may be necessary. So we are going to harmonize and see how we can go about it. If you are bringing 30,000 people to my 40,000 structure, I cannot expect to have the chairman and secretary.
“But we must go with it in a very rightful manner and allow the internal mechanism to decide the situation.”
The forum then passed vote of confidence on the Shehu Musa Gabam-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. They also commend party members nationwide for their outstanding efforts in building and positively repositioning the party.
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