Says party ready for elections
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has declared that it would do everything possible to participate fully in the ongoing democratic processes despite the shortcomings of the 2026 Electoral Act
The National Secretary of the Party, Dr Olu Agunloye, stated this during an interview with the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja
According to him, “the question was asked: Is your party ready to roll with the new Electoral Act? The answer is: Yes, we are ready. The Social Democratic Party, SDP is ready for election and electioneering.
“We are ready to participate in democracy. We did under the military and, remember, we won the general election under the military. We, as social democrats, prevailed under the colonial masters, and prevailed under the military, we shall prevail in this dispensation.”
He further explained: “The critical point is really not about digital registration or membership, and not the required time limit. Whatever the case is, our party will meet all those technical requirements and will comply with the law without raising any dust.”
Dr Agunloye, however, pointed out that “there are issues; significant issues should be addressed in the national interest for the exercise to be successful.”
According to him, “First, see the contradiction exhibited by our APC-led Assembly and APC Government that will not allow e-voting, will not tolerate e-transmission of results and will allow only manual collation of results with stone-age Arithmetic using pencil and paper but will enact a law to enforce compulsory e-registration and digital membership.
“Let no one be deceived. This is not about creating level playing grounds or free and fair elections or making INEC truly independent. No, it is about inventing more and more intricacies and complications into the electoral law as booby traps for other political parties.
“As a matter of fact, what we now have is that our National Assembly and our federal government, instead of fostering sustainable development to deepen democracy and increase dividends, they are craftily planting booby traps for political parties that will put them at substantial conflicts with INEC.
“Our legislative and executive arms have devised cunning ways to put INEC at loggerheads with political parties, placing the commission at much risk of breaking the repeated Supreme Court injunction of no interference in the internal affairs of political parties. Soon, we may start to see many unnecessary clashes and conflicts between the political parties and INEC.”
He pointed out that this political cleverness of our leaders was poisonous and dangerous for our country.
