FALAE: SDP not in alliance with Obasanjo’s group

The national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae, has denied rumours in some quarters that he had talks with former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the former president’s group adopting SDP as it political party.

Rumours had claimed that Falae’s recent visit to Obasanjo was for the former President’s group, Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), to adopt the SDP.

CNM had since adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the political party it will support for the 2019 election to the surprise of many.

But Falae, who spoke with newsmen after a meeting of chairmen of 36 political parties in Abuja on Wednesday, explained that his reason for visiting Obasanjo in Abeokuta was private and not for political talks.

“I paid a private visit to my former boss, Gen. Obasanjo. You may not know because many of you are very young. When he was military head of state, I was his permanent secretary, working directly with him from 1977 to 1979. So, it was a semi-private visit and there is no continuing dialogue,” he said.

Reacting to the crisis currently rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC), he said that the development was a clear indication that the ruling party had lost it.

He therefore called on aggrieved members of the party, especially members of the National Assembly, to join hands with the SDP in moving the nation forward.

“It means the ruling party has lost it. Many of their leaders in the legislature are leaving them. We hope they will join hands with us in looking for survival programme to move Nigeria forward,” he said.

He confirmed a meeting between his party and a former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, adding that the party is in talks with many politicians.

He said, “Many people are talking with us. In politics, won’t you talk to everybody? We are talking to anybody and everybody. We are searching for a solution to the complex problems of our nation. In that search, we cannot ignore anybody or anyone.”

On the SDP meeting with other political parties he said, “We are 36 in number and we have been consulting with one another since February this year. We are very concerned about the situation in Nigeria politically, economically, socially and in the area of security. We have identified relevant solutions to the problem of our nation and to that effect, we are going to set up a committee to work on a common blueprint for the survival, growth, progress and unity of the nation”, he stated.