By Chukwudi Nweje
Barely 24 hours after the former chairperson of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Lagos, Ms Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the SDP in the state has said it is not perturbed by the defection.
The party noted that Adeyink’s exit is a welcome relief to it as it was long anticipated by the party’s hierarchy.
A statement by the Lagos State chapter of the SDP Tuesday, signed by the Governorship Candidate, Chief Kunle Uthman said their only surprise is that Adeyinka joined the PDP rather than a progressive party.
The statement read, “While preparing to receive the SDP National delegation led by a former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Olu Agunloye to Lagos State to attend a session at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), where our Presidential Candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo was scheduled to speak, we received with nostalgic relief news of the exit of the Chairperson, Miss Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka from our Party and later learnt that she had eloped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“It was not a surprise to anyone in the hierarchy of our Party, being a long awaited switch, and the choice of the PDP as an option was befuddling and strange, because the earlier indication was likelihood of her joining another Party.
“The Social Democratic Party (SDP) is the oldest political party that is participating in the forthcoming national and state elections and we have structures, distinguished personalities and candidates who are determined to impact positively on the electorate, the citizens and win as many electoral seats as possible in the national and state elections.
“In particular, the SDP Lagos State is well structured and its candidates will do all that is right, lawful, constitutional, fair and equitable to win as many as possible seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly and the Gubernatorial Elections. Our engagements with the print and electronic media have glaringly shown that we have in our fold the cerebral capacity to outperform others.
“In the circumstances, a replacement of our defected chairman will be announced and a reconstituted Lagos State Executive Committee will be published.
“We wish Miss Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka good tidings in her new family and appreciate her role prior to defection to a rival party, noting as an incontrovertible truism and fact that no leader of our great Party defected with her.”