The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has described lawyer and Lagos based politician, Chief Supo Shonibare, as an ‘impostor’ who is hiding under the facade of being the factional national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to collect illegal nomination, and expression of interest fees from aspirants seeking to contest the 2023 general elections under.
SDP National Publicity Secretary, Ambassador Rufus Aiyenigba, made the allegation on Tuesday in a statement issued in Abuja.
The party clarified that Chief Shonibare’s stock in trade after his expulsion from the party, has been to misinform the public with a view to diminish the rising profile of the SDP as the credible alternative seeking good governance and development as the nation counts down to next year’s general elections.
Aiyenigba, in the statement, described him as an agent of destabilisation and distraction who since 2019 has engaged in shenanigans, including legal battles to take over control of the party as national chairman to no avail.
“On 7 February, 2019, Chief Olu Falae announced his resignation as national chairman of the party and his retirement from politics. Prof. Tunde Adeniran, then Deputy National Chairman (South) immediately ascended to the position of national chairman, in accordance with Section 12.5.1 (v) of the SDP Constitution, 2018.
“Chief Supo Shonibare, who was merely one of the six zonal chairmen of SDP at the time, rushed to Abuja on 11 February, 2019, claiming that he was acting under the directives of a local socio-cultural organisation to take over the SDP and proceeded to illegally announce himself as national chairman of the party.
“He was roundly ignored by the SDP leadership, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the public. After one year, a frustrated Shonibare headed to the Federal High Court in Abuja on 22 January, 2020, to urge the court to declare him as national chairman and to compel INEC to recognise him as such.
“He also sought from the court a declaration that the SDP constitution of 2011/2012 and the old SDP logo are the only valid tenders of the party and not the 2018 SDP constitution and the current logo which were duly ratified and adopted at the 6th October, 2018, national convention of the oarty in Abuja, under the supervision of the Independent Nation Electoral Commission (INEC).
“As at 14 May, 2022, the Shonibare court case is yet to be formally heard at the Federal High Court, Abuja. It is noteworthy that INEC, as a defendant in the case, had sometime in 2020 and 2021, informed the court that the commission is not aware that Chief Supo Shonibare became the SDP national chairman at any point in time.
“In the meantime, it has become clear from his stance, that Chief Shonibare has consistently shown the restlessness of a man that knows that his case has no merit,” the SDP image-maker stated.
