The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu owns or bankrolls the party, maintaining that it remains an independent entity owned by Nigerians.
The party accused individuals such as Joe Igbokwe, Alhaji Buba Galadima, Engineer YY Sani, and Alhaji Salihu Lukman of pushing the false narrative for personal and political reasons.
In a statement on Wednesday by its national secretariat, the party dismissed the allegations as reckless and mischievous propaganda aimed at misleading the public.
It clarified that there is no individual who owns the SDP, adding that there is no godfather anywhere to whom the party reports, declaring further that “Nigerians own the party.”
The SDP said: “The national leadership of our great party, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, has in the past days been inundated with calls and expressions of concern about the reckless and mischievous statements credited to some individuals, suggesting that President Bola Tinubu owns and funds the Social Democratic Party, the SDP.
“Initially, we chose not to dignify the preposterous claims of those political jobbers, attention- and patronage-seeking likes of Mr. Joe Igbokwe, Alhaji Buba Galadima, Engineer YY Sani, and Alhaji Salihu Lukman with any response so as not to make their false claim have any semblance of importance, but upon deep reflection and considering the preponderance of calls from well-meaning patriots, we have decided to respond as follows:
“That the SDP is a national political party that runs on the provisions of its constitution and operates its people-centred ideology.
“There is no individual who owns the SDP, and there is no godfather anywhere to whom the party reports; Nigerians own the party.
“That beyond the undeniable fact that the SDP provided the foundation upon which the glorious political career of President Tinubu is built, having provided him the platform to contest and win the Senate seat of Lagos-West along with Senator Kofoworola Akerele-Buknor and Senator Anthony Adefuye in the aborted 3rd Republic.
“That there is no working connection or relationship whatsoever with the president or his agents with regard to political collaboration.
“That the party has, over the years, been solely self-funded and sustained through the subscriptions and sacrifices of members across the country.”
