The Social Democratic Party (SDP) is grappling with escalating tensions in Kogi, as party officials have threatened to expel Sam Abenemi, who served as the deputy governorship candidate in the recent elections.
During a news conference in Lokoja on Thursday, the Kogi State Chairman of SDP, Moses Peter Oricha, accused Abenemi of creating discord within the party.
Oricha urged those eyeing positions in the upcoming local government elections to distance themselves from Abenemi’s Caretaker Committee, asserting that his faction represents the legitimate state executives whose tenure extends until 2026 according to the party’s Constitution.
“The Abenemi-led Caretaker Committee is a sham and should not be acknowledged. Our Constitution does not recognize any Caretaker Committee or its variations. We have reports indicating that he has purchased SIEC forms from another political party for N5,000 to mask their embarrassment,” he claimed.
“As the Chairman, alongside my fellow executives, we received authentic candidate forms from the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC). It baffles me that the so-called Abenemi-led Caretaker Committee is also distributing forms obtained from other parties. SIEC cannot issue forms to a caretaker committee while the congress executives are still in place.”
“This is the biggest deception of our time. We call on the relevant authorities to investigate and ensure that those responsible face consequences.”
Oricha also announced that plans are underway to expel Abenemi and his alleged accomplices from the SDP in the coming days, criticizing Abenemi for fleeing from his previous party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), without officially decamping as per party rules.
“We granted him the deputy governorship ticket on a silver platter to attract more members, but regrettably, he appears intent on sabotaging SDP for his own self-serving interests, much like he did in the PDP.”
“Isn’t it absurd that the Deputy governorship candidate of SDP is now claiming to be the chairman of a caretaker committee? This behavior is outrageous, unacceptable, and simply unacceptable.”
“We will not permit any desperate individual like Abenemi to tarnish our esteemed Party in Kogi State. The results from the 2023 Governorship election clearly indicate that SDP stands as the only formidable opposition party capable of challenging the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) for power.”
Oricha reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that SDP secures every position in the forthcoming council elections in Kogi.
