The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has inaugurated a 20-man National Convention/Presidential primaries committee led by former governor of Ekiti state, Chief Segun Oni.
The National Secretary of the party, Dr Olu Agunloye, doubles as the Secretary of the committee while Alhaji Ibrahim Modibo, is the deputy chairman.
Other members are Dr Umar Ardo, DCM Charles Akpabio (rtd), former Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Ojukwu (rtd), SDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, Dr Casmir Anyanwu, Ogbonna Uchechukwu and ten others.
The party also set up other sub committees, namely: Electoral Panel, Accreditation & Protocol, Security, Media and Publicity, Finance, Venue, Welfare and Screening sub-committees.
Speaking at the occasion, the National Chairman, Malam Shehu Gabam, said the party was guided by integrity, sagacity and acumen in the choice of members of the committee.
He expressed the hope that the convention would out-perform previous ones.
Responding on behalf other members of the committee, the SDP governorship candidate Engr. Segun Oni said the committee has a date with history.
He said, “I am very confident that we will justify the expectation of the national working committee putting us together. We want to say that this country is ripe for things like this. We have seen democracy still tottering after so many years because the internal part of it, the core of it, we have not gotten it right yet.
“Yes we can all shout democracy! democracy!! democracy!!! but In the real sense of it, how many parties practise democracy internally and this is where we are starting.
“We believe that the democracy that is taking to the market place must be groomed and consumed by us first before we take it out there and this is why this exercise is very important.
“It must be transparent and it must be flawless and we must give confidence to everybody, both members and non members that this is indeed a new Nigeria,”Oni said.