The party rejects claims that its Osun chapter has endorsed APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji ahead of the August 15 governorship election

The Social Democratic Party has strongly denied claims that its Osun State chapter has collapsed its structure to support All Progressives Congress governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

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The denial followed reports that a factional SDP chairman in Osun State, Remi Omidire, had purportedly adopted Oyebamiji as the party’s preferred candidate in a letter addressed to APC State Chairman Tajudeen Lawal.

Reacting to the development in a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday, the Chairman of SDP State Chairmen in Nigeria, Femi Olaniyi, popularly known as Ferrari, said the Osun chapter remained intact and had neither endorsed the APC nor entered into an alliance with the party.

Olaniyi described the letter attributed to Omidire as false, insisting that it did not originate from the authentic SDP leadership in Osun State, led by Funsho Fabiyi.

He accused unnamed mischief makers of attempting to mislead the public and create the impression that the party had abandoned its political structure ahead of the election.

According to Olaniyi, the Fabiyi-led leadership has neither collapsed the party’s structure nor adopted Oyebamiji, stressing that the SDP remains committed to participating in the governorship contest.

“The Osun State chapter of the SDP has not, and will not, collapse its structure for any political party. SDP is not for sale,” Olaniyi said.

The controversy comes as political parties intensify their campaigns and mobilisation efforts ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with alleged endorsements and cross-party alignments likely to attract heightened scrutiny.

Olaniyi also warned individuals responsible for circulating what he described as fake news to stop immediately or risk legal action.

“We warn all perpetrators of this fake news to desist immediately or face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

The SDP chairman reaffirmed the party’s commitment to its political mission in Osun State, saying it remained focused on using the democratic process to pursue what he described as the rescue of the state.

He urged SDP members and supporters to disregard the report of an alleged alliance with the APC and remain focused on the party’s campaign ahead of the election.

The latest development highlights the fluid political landscape in Osun State as parties position themselves for the governorship poll.

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While the SDP has dismissed the alleged endorsement as a fabrication, the party’s leadership has reiterated that its structure remains intact and that it intends to remain an active participant in the electoral contest.