The leadership crisis rocking the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has deepened following insistence by State Chairmen and Zonal leaders in the Southern States that Acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdul Isiaq, must leave office.
Isiaq emerged Acting National Chairman of the SDP after former National chairman, Dr. Tunde Adeniran, resigned from office and partisan politics last September.
The Southern Chairmen, who passed a vote of no confidence on Isiaq at a meeting in Akure, faulted the manner he emerged as the Acting Chairman.
They said his emergence was contrary to the party’s constitution.
The Southern Chairmen expressed confidence the abnormality would be reversed as stipulated in the party constitution in Article 13, section 2 sub-section (ii) in filling the vacant position of the office of the National Chairman.
Resolution of the meeting was signed by 15 state Chairmen, who backed Deputy National Chairman (South) Dr Olu Agunloye as the bona-fide Acting National Chairman of the party.
Chairman of the Forum of Southern State Chairmen and Zonal leaders, Hon Bade Falade, who read the communiqué, said: “That we have confidence in the National Working Committee (NWC) of Social Democratic Party SDP and the Party Constitution in Article 13, section 2, sub-section(ii) in filling the vacant position of the office of the National Chairman.
“That the emergence of a new National Chairman should be urgently followed with the convening of National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party where progress affecting the party will be discussed and a Committee be put in place for holding the National Convention.
“While awaiting the appropriate action of the National Working Committee (NWC), we the undersigned being members of SDP and State Chairmen and Zonal officers hereby recognize the Deputy National Chairman (South) Dr Olu Agunloye as the bona-fide Acting National Chairman of the party.”