The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has plunged deeper into crisis as its embattled National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, dismissed his reported suspension, calling it “fake news” orchestrated by internal detractors bent on destabilizing the party.
He said the crisis in the party was being engineered by certain outside forces and a “newly formed coalition”, bent on controlling the party’s structure.
Gabam made this known on Tuesday during a press briefing at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, maintaining that he remains the legitimate leader of the party. “I remain the National Chairman of the SDP as you can see,” he told journalists. “There was no official meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) where such a decision was taken. So where is this coming from?”
Earlier that day, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, released a statement announcing Gabam’s suspension alongside two other NWC members, National Auditor Nnadi Clarkson and National Youth Leader Uchechukwu Chukwuma. They were accused of gross financial misconduct, including embezzlement, misappropriation, and unauthorized movement of party funds.
According to the NWC statement, the decision followed overwhelming evidence presented at a committee meeting, and the suspension was executed under Articles 19.1, 19.3(i), and 19.5 of the party’s 2022 constitution (as amended). An interim investigative panel has reportedly been set up to audit party accounts and recommend further action, while the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar, has been instructed to assume leadership pending the outcome of investigations.
Gabam, however, strongly contested the process, revealing that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had already dismissed a request, signed by National Secretary Dr. Olu Agunloye and submitted through a private legal firm, to convene a party meeting without his involvement. “INEC called the request illegal because it lacked my signature,” he said, adding that his removal lacks procedural and constitutional merit.
The embattled chairman accused certain figures within the party and a newly formed coalition of engineering the crisis to hijack the SDP or render it ineffective. “We know where this is coming from,” Gabam said. “These are people who couldn’t control the SDP and now want to destroy it. Some forces see this party as too strong to manipulate.”
More troubling, Gabam alleged that elements within the nation’s security architecture were being used to intimidate party officials and silence dissenting voices. “Anytime leaders don’t tolerate dissent, democracy is endangered,” he warned. “This is dangerous for our country.”
He called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and rein in overreaching security agencies. “They are not just hurting the party, they’re harming the nation,” Gabam said. “I hope the Commander-in-Chief will not allow this kind of anarchy to thrive.”
On the allegations of financial impropriety, Gabam promised full transparency, noting that all transactions were traceable. “Everyone in the NWC received funds. Their names are all in the party’s bank records,” he said. “Let the banks provide the statements. I’m ready to account for my tenure at any time.”
He further dismissed attempts to communicate with INEC through external legal representation as unconstitutional. “Communication with INEC must bear the signatures of both the National Chairman and the Secretary,” he emphasized. “By our constitution, the National Chairman is the party’s leader and chief executive. My signature is an authority signature.”
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