Ondo SDP Crisis: Chairman Urges IGP to Seal Party Secretariat

The Acting Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ondo State, Dele Thomas, has called on the Inspector-General of Police to direct the state Commissioner of Police to seal the party’s secretariat amid a deepening leadership crisis.

Thomas made the appeal in a statement issued in Akure, saying the temporary closure of the secretariat would help prevent the dispute from escalating into a confrontation between rival factions.

The Ondo SDP had been embroiled in a leadership tussle following the dissolution of the State Working Committee by the Prof. Tunde Adeniran-led National Working Committee of the party.

The state leadership rejected the dissolution, describing it as illegal and inconsistent with the SDP constitution.

Former state chairman Korede Duyile had reportedly stepped aside, paving the way for a caretaker arrangement to manage the party’s affairs pending its national convention.

At a meeting in June, the State Working Committee named Thomas, who had served as the party’s legal adviser in the state, as acting chairman.

The committee also suspended the SDP’s 2016 governorship candidate, Olu Agunloye, over allegations of anti-party activities and misconduct. The allegations were not independently established.

Thomas further called on the police and the Department of State Services to investigate individuals he accused of continuing to present themselves as national or state officers of the party after their tenures had allegedly expired.

He also accused some members of the Adeniran-led national leadership of impersonation and forgery in the course of the leadership dispute, though he provided no independent evidence to substantiate the claims.

Thomas argued that Articles 13(ii) and 13(iii) of the SDP constitution set out the powers and limitations of the National Working Committee and make it accountable to the National Executive Committee.

He further maintained that the tenure of the Adeniran-led NWC had expired and therefore questioned its authority to dissolve the Ondo State Working Committee.

Thomas also challenged the legitimacy of some positions allegedly being claimed by rival party officials, including a purported Deputy National Chairman for the South and a South-West Vice Chairman.

He urged those claiming such positions to provide evidence showing that they were properly elected in accordance with the party’s constitution.

The acting chairman also appealed to SDP national leader and federal lawmaker Tajudeen Adefisoye to continue intervening in efforts to resolve the dispute.

Thomas warned prospective governorship aspirants seeking the SDP ticket ahead of the October 10, 2020 Ondo State election to carefully verify which faction had lawful authority to conduct party business, arguing that failure to do so could expose candidates to pre-election litigation.

He said sealing the secretariat temporarily would help reduce tension while the competing claims to the party’s leadership were resolved.