TELL Magazine

Edo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has debunked the report claiming that it has endorsed the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and incumbent governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki for the September 19 governorship election. The SDP was listed amongst the list of 35 political parties in the state which collapsed their parties’ structures to support Obaseki and Philip Shaibu, his deputy, for a second term in office. A coalition of 35 political parties had on Friday at a press conference addressed by Collins Dare Oreruan, stated that the endorsement became necessary to enable the present government consolidate on the “good work” it had started.

Listed as part of the coalition, were the SDP, Accord Party, KOWA, and 32 others. However in a new twist, the SDP dissociated itself from the alleged endorsement. Edo South Senatorial district Chairman of SDP, Osaze Ozigbo, claimed “Mr. Collins Oreruan has been on suspension for two and a half years”. According to Ozigbo, Oreruan “is not the chairman of the party neither does he represent the interest of the party. The state chairman of the party is Elder Felix Obahiagbon who is now the party’s flag bearer in the forthcoming Governorship election, and he is well recognized by the party headquarters in Abuja”.

Ozigbo described Oreruan as “a “scam claiming to be the chairman of SDP which he is not”. He advised him to first go and rectify his membership with the party at the Abuja head office. “In other words, we don’t know him and he is not representing our interest. The endorsement of a particular candidate is not a collective decision of SDP. His so-called single decision is null and void.”

Corroborating Ozigbo’s views, a party leader in the state, Peter Imhansoloeva, said: “As far as I know, the SDP has not adopted any particular candidate in the forthcoming governorship election. We have our candidate in the person of Felix Obahiagbon who was the former chairman of the party. I and Felix contested for the gubernatorial ticket of the party which he eventually won. I have no contest about his emerging the party flag bearer. As of today, we have not collapsed our structure for any particular candidate outside SDP. Collins Oreruan is a scam and any decision taken by him is personal”.

The Oredo Youth Leader of the party said “Mr. Collins Oreruan is just trying to reap where he did not sow. He is just parading himself in order to defraud the good people of Edo State. Anybody dealing with Collins Oreruan is taking a risk”.