Olu Agunloye, the national secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has stated that the party is not considering a merger with any political group and will resist any attempts at a hostile takeover by new members.
In a statement dated March 21, Agunloye emphasized that while the SDP has recently welcomed new members from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), these individuals must adhere to the party’s constitution and principles.
He acknowledged that new members might have varying motives for joining but insisted that the party’s core values remain unchanged.
He criticized the performance of the APC and PDP since 1999, attributing Nigeria’s challenges, including economic hardship, corruption, electoral malpractice, and insecurity, to their governance.
According to him, these issues have contributed to widespread poverty and youth unemployment, making the emergence of the SDP as a credible alternative necessary.
Agunloye called on SDP leaders and state chairmen to actively engage citizens seeking good governance, stressing that the responsibility should not rest solely on the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gabam.
He described the SDP as a party driven by vision and ideology, standing out as a reliable political platform.
He acknowledged the influx of various political figures into the party, including elites with different interests. Some, he said, were genuinely committed to good governance, while others aimed to take over the party structure for their ambitions, contest elections in 2027, or even sabotage the party.
However, he assured that the SDP would remain transparent and committed to its principles of social justice while integrating both old and new members.
While affirming that the party would accommodate new members fairly, he made it clear that the SDP would not engage in any mergers, operate under merger rules, or allow a “Takeover” model that seeks to alter its name, constitution, or manifesto. He added that in managing new interests, the party would avoid past mistakes that led to the failure of previous political alliances.
Agunloye stated that the SDP is working on strengthening its internal structures by improving membership registration, reinforcing constitutional frameworks, and enhancing party departments and directorates.
He stressed that any effort to position the SDP as a dominant political force must be handled with caution to ensure long-term success.