Breaking: SDP Withdraws from Ondo Local Government Election

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has announced its withdrawal from the Ondo State local government election scheduled for Saturday, citing concerns over violence in Idanre.

The decision was announced by Tajudeen Adefisoye, the SDP’s only member in the National Assembly and representative of Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency.

Adefisoye said the safety of residents and protection of property were more important than electoral victory, adding that the continuing violence in Idanre had made participation in the election increasingly risky.

In a statement titled “Withdrawal of Participation From Local Government Election,” he said the party remained confident of strong support but feared that the political tension could lead to further killings and destruction.

According to Adefisoye, his political approach did not support a “do-or-die” contest, and he believed withdrawing from the process was necessary to help restore peace.

He alleged that some opposition figures were attempting to provoke SDP supporters into retaliation, though he did not provide independent evidence to support the claim.

Adefisoye said he would rather pursue peace than allow the political contest to trigger violence similar to previous crises in the area.

He consequently announced his withdrawal from the entire local government election process in Idanre and across Ondo State and urged SDP candidates to do the same in the interest of peace.

The lawmaker, however, clarified that any SDP candidate who still wished to participate in the election was free to do so.

He stressed that his own decision was final and was taken solely to prevent further bloodshed and encourage the restoration of peace in Idanre.

Adefisoye maintained that no political victory was worth the loss of lives or destruction of property and urged political actors to prioritise peace throughout the electoral process.