The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari as its presidential candidate at the February 16 election.
The SDP adopted President Buhari at the end of its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.
The NEC meeting was attended by Prof. Tunde Adeniran, SDP Deputy National Chairman, South; Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, National Vice Chairman, North East; Hon. Emeka Atuma, National Organizing Secretary; Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, National Secretary, and the Deputy National Chairman, North, Dr Abdul Ahmed Ishaq, who read a communiqué issued.
The party, which said the adoption was for President Buhari and his vice presidential candidate Yemi Osinbajo alone, added that the political alignment with the APC which shares its ideals and values was far better than any action that would disenfranchise its members.
The party quickly said that the alignment also involved the necessity of APC members to give support to SDP candidates in areas considered as their strongholds.
NEC, the communiqué added, was convinced that with the SDP and the APC working together, SDP has a better chance of gaining lost grounds in meeting the yearnings of Nigerians after further weighing the options and reviewing the political situation in the country.
The SDP, which said it deliberately settled for APC out of all political parties that approached its leadership for collaboration, stated that it had become imperative for engagements and strategic collaboration between and among parties that were ‘strongly’ committed to the Nigerian ideal so that the future of the country was not doomed with the multitude of parties in the race for the crucial presidency.
The NEC regretted that since the end of the National Convention of the party held in Abuja on October 6, 2018 and the emergence of Donald Duke as the presidential candidate, the party had been enmeshed in litigations which had ‘significantly’ sapped its energy, time and resources.
“With less than ten days before the presidential election, our great party is caught up in a web with very little room for manoeuvre. The options before us at this critical juncture are limited: we either realign our forces or we lose out completely.
“It is in view of all these that the NWC of the SDP has resolved to adopt President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osibanjo of the APC as candidates of the party for the 2019 presidential election. Consequently, all members of the party are hereby enjoined to vote for President Buhari of the APC at the presidential election coming up on Saturday 16 February 2019,” the communiqué partly read.
It also added that the SDP NEC “noted and expressed happiness that the party’s candidates for various offices namely the State Houses of Assembly, the House of Representatives, the Senate and Gubernatorial offices are campaigning vigorously nationwide and their presence and impacts are being felt everywhere.
“NEC calls on all our candidates throughout the country not to relent but must work even harder as we approach the finishing line. NEC also promised to support our candidates in every way possible to ensure their decisive victory at the polls.
“For the avoidance of doubt, NEC restates that this is not a merger between the SDP and the APC and therefore the SDP retains its identity and remains a distinct political party.
“NEC calls on all our members nationwide to vote for SDP candidates for the National Assembly, Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections.
“We indeed expect and demand reciprocity from the APC in return as the implementation of these resolutions will be coordinated through Zonal and State committees in view of local peculiarities.
“In this regard, the APC will also fully support and vote for our candidates for other offices especially where SDP has strongholds. Details of these are being worked out.
“Beyond and after the elections, APC has agreed not only to include the policy thrust of the SDP but also form an inclusive government that will accommodate our valiant members who joined forces at this point in time on the side of the people for meaningful democracy and on the side of history.
“We, the leaders and members of our great party, the SDP, wishes Nigerians well and we shall work tirelessly to ensure that we have the right leadership that will guarantee national security, unity, justice, equity, progress and orderly development that we all so much desire and deserve.”
The party expressed optimism that with the collaboration, Nigeria would make progress and leap forward in the match to greatness through the resolution of pending challenges and progressively to the next level.
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