The Oyo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has denied collapsing its structure into the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The party also dismissed claims that it was planning to support the presidential candidate of APC, Bola Tinubu, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde.
The National Secretary of the SDP, Dr. Olu Agunloye, in a statement on Sunday, described the report as false and mischievous.
According to him, the former Minister of Power and Steel, Kola Balogun, who had announced the purported collapse of structures, does not have the authority to speak for the party, stressing that the party suspended him in August 2018 and later expelled him in February 2019.
Agunloye noted that Balogun was suspended in 2018 for leaking party documents to the PDP, while he was acting state chairman of the SDP in Oyo ahead of the 2019 governorship election.
He described Balogun as a persona non grata to the SDP.
Maintaining that Supo Shonibare was also expelled from the party on February 11, 2019 and had settled for another political party early this year, he said Shonibare had since ceased to be a member of the party for four years.
He said: “Everything in the story about the structure collapse is false and misleading. Except the name of Makinde and the spelling of Oyo, all other things in the story should be disregarded.
“Oyo SDP is not interested in the Makinde-Balogun voyage. We only want the unsuspecting public to know that we are not in any talks with Makinde, as we are solidly behind the SDP governorship candidate, Michael Lana, who is doing very well and is much loved by the people of Oyo.
“We urge our members and supporters to be watchful, resolute, and determined for victories in 2023 as the SDP remains united and committed to social justice.”
