Ekiti Guber: SDP Denies Withdrawal Reports, Accuses INEC of Blocking Agents

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Friday alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was preventing it from deploying polling agents for Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election, even as it firmly denied reports that it had withdrawn from the contest.

The party insisted that its governorship candidate, Ambassador Isaac Adebayo Alade, remains on the ballot and is fully participating in the election.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the SDP described reports of its withdrawal from the race as false and misleading, urging voters and the general public to disregard them.

According to the party, its National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe, and the National Working Committee (NWC) reaffirmed that the SDP remains a contestant in the election and that Alade is the party’s duly nominated candidate recognised by INEC.

“The Ekiti electorate and members of the general public are hereby assured that the SDP is listed on the ballot and its candidate, Ambassador Isaac Adebayo Alade, remains strongly in contention for the election,” the statement said.

The party noted that Alade was among the governorship candidates who participated in and signed the INEC peace accord ahead of the poll.

SDP, however, alleged that despite receiving an access code from INEC for the upload of polling unit agents, the electoral commission failed to activate the portal required for the exercise.

“It is instructive to note and inform the public that INEC formally provided access code to our National Secretariat for the uploading of the names of polling unit agents of the SDP.

“However, officials of the commission at the national headquarters refused to open the portal to enable us upload the party’s agents for the governorship election,” the statement added.

The party argued that any electoral process that prevents a political party from deploying its agents could raise concerns about the credibility and transparency of the exercise.

It said: “The deliberate locking out of agents of a major opposition party erodes the credibility of the election.”

The SDP also rejected claims that it had exited the race, maintaining that the reports were intended to mislead voters ahead of the election.

Reaffirming its commitment to the contest, the party said it remained focused on providing what it described as a credible alternative platform for governance and development in Ekiti State.

The statement added that the SDP would continue to advocate transparent, fair and credible electoral processes as part of its contribution to Nigeria’s democratic development.