By Mumini Abdulkareem
The gubernatorial candidate of the Kwara State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dr Olajide Joseph Adebola has dismissed report that he has decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement signed by the head of his campaign team on Sunday, Hon Kolawole Ajibade Gani Jase, it described the development as a cheap blackmail orchestrated by desperate political merchants working for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It said the party’s gubernatorial and House of Assembly candidate are not for sale and challenged the perpetrators to come out openly for Kwarans to identify them.
The statement reads in part:
“Our attention has been drawn to a mischief being unleashed against the person of the SDP gubernatorial candidate of Kwara State, Dr Olajide Joseph Adebola.
“In a cheap ploy to mislead and misinform members of the general public including our teeming party supporters, certain dubious elements have been perpetrating the ludicrous falsehood that Dr. Olajide Adebola has decamped from his chosen party, SDP to APC.
“This malicious rumour is believed to be issued and circulated by desperate political merchants working for APC with no interest in true ‘Liberation’ of Kwara; and who are willing to do anything to stop the SDP gubernatorial candidate from contesting the election this weekend.
“It is now obvious that these unprincipled personalities will not stop at any level no matter how ignoble to satisfy their selfish ends.
“Dr. Olajide Joseph Adebola is a respectable and principled person whose political agenda is not for personal gain but for the good of his beloved Kwara State.
“He will not therefore stoop so low as to sell the hope of Kwara’s liberation for a morsel of bread. Dr. Adebola and indeed all the other candidates to the State House of Assembly seats have absolutely no intention of backstabbing their supporters by turning to any other party for personal gain. We therefore find the evil rumours deeply offensive and misleading.
We urge our supporters and the general public to disregard such rumour and the rumour-mongers.We challenge party officials and members involved to be bold by coming into the open for Kwara to take them seriously.
“SDP remains the only political party that can offer Kwara stable, credible Social, Economic and Political development.
“Dr. Adebola and other State House of Assembly candidates are still very much in the race. We are calling on the people of Kwara to come out in their teeming numbers to vote for SDP on Saturday 9th March, 2019”.
