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Some political thugs on Wednesday disrupted a news conference of a faction of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
The thugs invaded the Labour House beside the state High Court complex where members of a faction were addressing journalists on the state of affairs of the party.
The thugs, numbering about 20, forced their way into the premises owned by the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and descended heavily on the conveners of the meeting.
A factional chairman of the SDP in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, James Olajide, was assaulted, leaving him with torn cloth and dragged on the bare floor by the thugs.
The invading thugs accused the local government chairman of taking money from the state governor to foment trouble in SDP.
They also beat and drove away an elderly man, who was walking with aid of a walking stick.
Publicity Secretary of a faction of the SDP, Kareem Akanbi, had on Tuesday announced the suspension of eight members from the party.
The conveners of Wednesday’s meeting were some of the people that were suspended for alleged anti-party activities.
Before the disruption of the news conference, the factional chairman of the SDP (original), Ibrahim Yahaya, had alleged plans by some former members of the All Progressives Congress (APC Loyal) to hijack it from the pioneer executives of the party.
“It is no longer news that a faction of the All Progressives Congress party in Kwara State (APC Loyal) formally applied to join our party, the SDP, vide a letter to SDP National Secretariat dated March 9, 2022, by a reply letter dated 11th March 2022.
“The national secretariat of SDP acknowledged the APC loyal letter and their intention to join the SDP in Kwara State with a promise to work on a harmonisation arrangement on how their interests will be accommodated.
“The original SDP members in Kwara under my leadership were waiting for further directives from National Secretariat.
“But we were shocked to hear about a purported state congress of Kwara SDP held on April 26, 2022, which was stage-managed by the Kwara APC loyal group in collaboration with some officials of SDP National Secretariat,” the factional chairman said.