The Social Democratic Party has expressed confidence in winning Saturday’s Osun State governorship election despite its late inclusion on the ballot by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The party’s governorship candidate, Olugbenga Ajala, said the SDP would make the most of the limited time available to mobilise voters after INEC added the party to the list of contestants.
Ajala explained that the party had been tied up in legal battles while seeking recognition for its participation in the election.
He acknowledged that the late development had placed the SDP at a disadvantage compared with other candidates who had been campaigning for a longer period. However, he maintained that the party remained hopeful of a strong performance.
Ajala said, “We were in court throughout before we got judgments.
“In the next 48 hours, there is very little we can do because it is like a 100-meter race. Some of the contestants have reached 75 meters out of the 100 meters.
“We are now coming out to the starting point. You know, it will be an unfair competition. We will do our best. But let us see what the result will be before we can say decisively which step we will take.
“I am very optimistic about victory. In fact, we are joyous.”
INEC included Ajala and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, on the ballot after a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja ordered the commission to recognise and publish their details as the SDP candidates.
The electoral commission said it was reproducing the ballot papers and result sheets to reflect the court’s decision.
The inclusion of the SDP brings the number of parties participating in Saturday’s election to 15.
