By Ayodele Oni
Throwing away Yoruba culture of total respect to elders, Dr Olu Agunloye, National Secretary of Social Democratic Party, (SDP) threw salvos at Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Presidential Candidate over his recent comments on the status of the party.
Agunloye, who reacted on behalf of SDP in a statement on Monday, attacked Chief Falae for being “mischievous” in the statement credited to him.
Chief Falae, was the foundation National Chairman of the SDP.
Chief Falae was reported to have said that anybody claiming to be the National Chairman of the party is “floating on water,” as no convention has been held to elect his successor.
Agunloye described the statement as fallacious and malicious mis-statement, capable of distorting facts, or to influence pending court process.
He said such statement is not expected from a revered leader like Falae, the former chairman of the party, and that the statement should be seen as his personal view.
Agunloye, who maintained that the statement is grossly erroneous and misleading, said the party decided to respond to the former Secretary to the Federal Government’s claims for clarity and to put the record straight, saying: “this is necessary to show the public where Chief Olu Falae erred”
The SDP Secretary stated that Falae, who abruptly resigned his appointment as the National Chairman of the party some seven days to the 2019 general elections and publicly announced this resignation and his retirement from politics, has proceeded to mislead the public and has attempted to create a faction of SDP in Ondo state after his resignation and retirement from politics.
Agunloye, however, said the current actions of Falae to cast aspersions on SDP are completely unwarranted and are strongly condemned, and enjoined member of the public to disregard the utterances of Falae.
Putting the record straight, Agunloye alleged that Falae, who, he said, has lost touch with happenings in the party, has been romancing with the then National Vice Chairman, Supo Shonibare and his supporters while the group lured him to place unfounded personal opinion in the public domain.
“Chief Supo Shonibare who claims that Afenifere, the socio-cultural organisation in Yorubaland had directed him to take over the SDP is relying on charges of mismanagement against Chief Olu Falae, a Deputy Leader of Afenifere in order to justify his (Shonibare’s) case pending at a Federal High Court.
“INEC formally testified at the Federal High Court in the case brought by Chief Supo
Shonibare in 2020 and 2021 that the March 2016 Convention on which Chief Falae based his own election was not covered by INEC.
“This could mean that Chief Falae’s own National Chairmanship was actually in the waters from March 2016 struggling to float, but perhaps drowning, until the October 2018 National Convention which came to his rescue.
“The October 2018 Convention presided over by the same Chief elected national officers particularly those newly created by the new 2018 SDP Constitution and legitimised the appointments of the other officers including that of Chief Olu Falae himself.
“Chief Falae presided over the ratification and adoption of the 2018 SDP Constitution at the National Convention of 6 October 2018, but Shonibare is now insisting that it is only the 2012 Constitution that is the valid Constitution of SDP.”
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