The Social Democratic Party in Oyo State has urged voters to reject candidates from political parties recently designated as “terrorist organisations” by a Canadian court during the bye-election scheduled for Saturday in the state.
This appeal was made in a statement issued by the state chairman of the party, Michael Ogunlade, in Ibadan on Friday.
The bye-election follows the death of Musiliudeen Akinremi, a two-term member of the House of Representatives who represented the Ibadan North Federal Constituency.
Akinremi, popularly known as Jagaban, passed away in Abuja in 2024 after a brief illness.
In his statement, Ogunlade called on the electorate to support only candidates who possess integrity and a clear dedication to peaceful democratic values.
He said, “This follows a landmark judgment from a Federal Court in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, which reportedly classified ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party as terrorist groups over alleged involvement in ballot box snatching, intimidation, and electoral violence.
“The judgment confirmed long-standing allegations by civil society and opposition leaders about the violent nature of elections under both parties. The ruling is a wake-up call to Nigerian voters to end the cycle of fear, bloodshed, and corruption that has marred our democracy for over two decades.
“Voting for APC or PDP tomorrow is a vote for impunity. The world is watching us, and the Canadian Court’s decision has put our political system under international scrutiny.
“The people must now rise to reject violence and vote for a party with clean hands and a genuine track record of service. The SDP, unlike the dominant parties, has consistently run issue-based campaigns and avoided thuggery.”
Ogunlade added that the court’s decision should serve as motivation for Nigerian law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to take more decisive action against electoral offenders.
He stressed that the pattern of political violence in Nigeria will persist unless voters come together to oppose individuals and groups that benefit from instability, noting that SDP candidates across the state had signed a peace accord, pledging to maintain a violence-free electoral process.
He concluded by calling on security agencies to remain impartial during the election and to protect voters from any form of harassment or intimidation.
“Any attempt to manipulate the process or overlook acts of violence would undermine Nigeria’s international reputation, especially in light of the Canadian court’s ruling,” he warned.
