Tinubu: SDP Reveals Owner, Those Bankrolling Party

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has refuted allegations suggesting that President Bola Tinubu owns or financially supports it.

The party declared its status as an independent organization owned by the Nigerian populace and self-funded by members nationwide.

The opposition party accused certain individuals of promoting this false narrative for their own personal and political agendas.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretariat, Rufus Ayenigba, the SDP characterized the allegations as reckless and a form of mischievous propaganda intended to mislead the public.

It emphasized that no single individual owns the SDP and stated that there is no influential figure to whom the party is accountable, further declaring that “the party belongs to Nigerians.”

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 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.”