Seasoned Nigerian entrepreneur, investment banker, and economist Atedo Peterside (CON) officially joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Wednesday.
Atedo – an alumnus of the City University, London and London School of Economics and Political Science as a member at Victoria Island Ward 2, Eti-Osa Local Government of Lagos State.
Before he was presented with the party card, the 66-year-old stated that the party’s manifesto; the quality of the party’s national leadership; his own adjudged acceptability at the local/ward level of the party; the commitment and willingness of the party leadership to practise internal democracy informed his decision.
“Nobody is going to come from Mars or Jupiter to improve Nigerian political parties. If they remain defective then they may consistently spew out bad choices,” he said on Arise TV’s Morning Show, where he first indicated he had joined a political party without disclosing the name of the party he joined.
He later posted on Twitter that he had registered with the SDP after commissioning a review to study the available 18 parties.
“After deep reflection, I decided to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP),” he wrote on Twitter.
In an earlier statement, he had said: “I now believe that every adult Nigerian at home or abroad should join a political party. Our political parties will not improve on account of external pressure alone. Change must also come from within. It is difficult to improve a Club or Party that you do not belong to. If I believe this, then I also must practise it.”
The SDP is one of top Nigerian political parties, but not as influential as the two most influential parties: ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Reacting to this development, Lagos SDP chairman comrade Adeyinka Dabiraoluwa said he is pleased with the national icon’s choice while enjoining others.
