The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Wednesday elected former speaker of Kogi House of Assembly, Alhaji Umar Imam as its candidate for the Aug. 11, Lokoja/Kogi-KK Federal Constituency bye-election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Aug.11 for the conduct of the exercise, following the death of Rep. Buba Jibril who represented the constituency in the House of Representatibves.

The state chairman of SDP, Mr Nda Abdulrahman, who declared Imam as the party’s candidate at the end of the primary conducted at the party secretariat in Lokoja, described him as a tested and trusted grassroots politician.

Abdulrahman said the party had fulfilled all the requirements and provisions of the Electoral Act and laws guiding the conduct of a primary election for the party to field a candidate and had chosen Imam.

He said that the primary election presented an opportunity for the much desired change, fairness and good governance in Kogi state to be realised and the beginning of good things to come to the state.

In his post election speech, Imam said he came into politics with a mindset to serve and align with a party made up of the progressives.

Imam, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to SDP on July 22, urged every citizen of the state who desired good governance and development to support the party.

He assured party members that they did not make a mistake in electing him to represent them in the bye-election.

The candidate said he was credible enough to match candidates of other parties in the planned exercise.

“We need every vote that we can possibly get. I want us after this programme to start campaigning so that the prosperity of our people will increase and spread everywhere,” he said.

Representatives of INEC monitored the exercise attended by party members among others political stakeholders from the federal constituency.