The FCT Police Command has arrested one Chief Supo Shonibare for allegedly parading himself as the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party.
Shonibare who was arrested alongside Sir Patrick Anethua and others is being detained at the FCT Police Command, Garki Abuja around 11 am.
They were arrested at the Merit House, Abuja, where they were purportedly holding meetings as National Executives of the SDP without any recognition as such by the Independent National Electoral Commission and other legal authorities.
He is still being held down as of 4 pm today with media houses including AIT, CHANNELS, NTA and others at the FCT Police command.
Shonibare is accused of attempting to sell nomination forms to would-be aspirants.
Recall that the SDP had on Tuesday issued a disclaimer on Shonibare, noting that he was not its member.
The party in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, described Shonibare as an impostor and impersonator aiming to defraud the public by posing as SDP National Chairman and indulging in criminal acts like soliciting unauthorised fees and collecting monies under false pretexts.
The statement read in part, “Chief Supo Shonibare, who is of decades of practice also a lawyer, has unashamedly stuck to the ignoble habit of peddling distortions of the proceedings of the Court in gross abuse of Court process and disregard to the majesty of the Court.
“Still unrepentant, on 12th May 2022, Chief Shonibare showed outright contempt for the court process that he initiated himself by publicly indicating that he has lost all confidence in the court and the judge.
“He decided that he could no longer wait for the hearing of the case to commence as stated by the High Court judge.
“Instead, he declared himself as the ‘Acting National Chairman’ of SDP and proceeded to announce fake schedules for Congresses and Conventions and dished out reckless rules and conditions for aspirants and potential candidates with utter disregard for the principles of social justice which our party, SDP stands for.”
The statement added that Shonibare acted completely in contradiction and conflicts with the Electoral Act, 2022 and in utter disdain for the role and rules of INEC.
