Protesters picketed the national headquarters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Abuja on Wednesday.
The protesters demanded the removal of Olu Agunloye as the party’s national secretary.
They accused Agunloye, a former minister of power and steel, of mismanaging the party and asked him to step down while he clears his name with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency is prosecuting Agunloye over a $6 billion Mambilla hydropower contract.
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The EFCC alleged that Agunloye awarded the contract for the Mambilla project on May 22, 2003, to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) without any budgetary provision, approval, or cash backing.
The commission also alleged that the former minister received N5.212 million from SPTCL and Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power, through Jide Abiodun Sotinrin.
The former minister has pleaded not guilty to the seven-count charge.
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‘CLEAR YOUR NAME OR RESIGN’
Some of the placards brandished by the protesters at the SDP headquarters read: “Clear your name or resign” and “Dr. Agunloye, face your EFCC cases and stop embarrassing SDP!”
Other placards had the following inscriptions: “Don’t destroy SDP! Dr. Agunloye’s EFCC case is destroying SDP! Resign now and give us a chance,” and “Save SDP’s legacy! Dr. Agunloye must resign immediately! We demand change for a better future!”
On Tuesday, TheCable had reported that Agunloye petitioned Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, over an alleged plot to force him to resign.
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Sources had informed TheCable that members of the SDP loyal to Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state, are pushing for Agunloye’s resignation.
Agunloye confirmed filing the petition when contacted by TheCable.
On Monday, el-Rufai resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the SDP after months of strategic meetings with opposition party leaders.
El-Rufai, who served as governor of Kaduna from 2015 to 2023, has been critical of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the APC in recent months.
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