Crisis Hits SDP As Party Suspends National Chairman, Auditor, Youth Leader, Others

crisis has erupted in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) over the purported suspension of the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, and other party officials.

However, the embattled Chairman Gabam has described the report of his suspension as fake, fingering coalition talks as the reason behind the party’s crisis.

There was chaos at the SDP headquarters as bouncers clashed with youths attempting to enter the office where a National Working Committee (NEC) meeting was taking place.

The altercation turned violent as overzealous bouncers prevented the youths from gaining entry.

Journalists waiting for the closed-door meeting to conclude were caught in the scuffle.

The bouncers confiscated the phones of a Punch newspaper reporter, Francis Adabayo, and an Arise cameraman, Tunji Olanipeku.

The situation escalated until personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS) arrived at the SDP national secretariat located in Wuse 2, Abuja, and intervened, resulting in the return of the journalists’ phones.

The fight reportedly stemmed from the suspension by the National Working Committee (NWC) of SDP National Chairman Gabam, National Auditor Nze Nnadi Clarkson and National Youth Leader Uchechukwu Chukwuma.

The SDP’s NWC purportedly approved the immediate suspension of the trio over allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation, and the diversion of party funds.

Their suspension was detailed in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary Rufus Aiyenigba, and made available to journalists.

It reads, “The decision followed resolutions made by members of the National Working Committee (NWC), where overwhelming evidence was presented linking the suspended officials to a series of unauthorised financial transactions, personal enrichment schemes, and the movement of funds from the party’s accounts without any approvals from the NWC.

“This development first came to light when it was discovered that the national chairman had sent an unauthorised financial statement to INEC, as required from all political parties.

“A summary of the fraudulent account was also published in the newspapers. When the NWC became aware of this, it resolved to report the fraudulent irregularities to law enforcement agencies.

“The action of the NWC to suspend the national chairman and two members of the NWC involved in the gross financial misconduct will also demonstrate to the general public that the party, which Nigerians generally esteem as a disciplined party and a credible alternative political platform for national redemption, has zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of office.”

According to him, the decision to suspend the indicted officials is to allow for a thorough investigation in order to uphold the integrity of the political party.

“An interim investigative panel has been constituted to audit all financial records and recommend further disciplinary or legal actions.  In the meantime, the deputy national chairman (North), Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar, has assumed leadership of the party as acting national chairman, per the provisions of the party’s constitution.”

Aiyenigba alleged that “the misappropriated funds amount to hundreds of millions of naira, including donations and resources realised from the sales of nomination forms during the 2023 general elections and other funds from the party’s accounts.

“The suspension of these officers has been communicated to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and all relevant agencies,” he said, adding that it takes immediate effect.

LEADERSHIP reports that before the suspension was announced, supporters of the suspended National Chairman Gabam and those of their 2023 presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, clashed, resulting in the removal of the gate of the party’s national secretariat at Wuse 2.

 

I Remain SDP Chairman, Coalition Behind Crisis – Gabam

 

Meanwhile, Shehu Gabam has insisted that he remains the SDP national chairman, alleging that his suspension was due to political reasons.

Gabam declared that talks around the coalition of opposition parties were behind the crisis that rocked the party but that he was still the party chairman.

Gabam also debunked his purported suspension from the office, describing it as “fake news”, which should be disregarded.

Speaking with newsmen at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, along with the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, Gabam said, “I remain the national chairman of the SDP, as you can see.”

Gabam accused some party’s national officials of working some individuals in new coalition to foment the current crisis in the party.

He explained that such a decision (to suspend him) was not taken at an official meeting of the party’s NWC and wondered where the statement originated from.

He further explained that a private legal firm had approached the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and requested a meeting of the party’s NWC, which was signed by the party’s national secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye, but that the Commission rejected the request.

According to him, “the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) tagged the request by the party’s national secretary to hold a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting as illegal since it didn’t have my signature.”

Gabam also lamented that the coalition, which wanted to destroy the SDP because it couldn’t take it over, was the mastermind of the crisis in the party.

“I think we had this crisis before. It is now rearing its head. Some of us understand where it is coming from because this coalition and some people in the coalition believe that, at all costs, they either get SDP or create confusion around SDP. So many forces from so many fronts see SDP as deadly, or very, very strong that they cannot manoeuvre over.”

Gabam, however, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the nation’s security agencies to order so that politicians would not use them to truncate democracy.

He said, “This is very, very dangerous for our democracy. The country is gone whenever we have leaders who don’t want to accommodate a dissenting voice. Democracy will disappear.

“We hope and I pray the president and commander-in-chief will not allow this anarchy to continue. He will call people to order. Security agencies are somehow being used remotely to support this kind of thing.

“They are not doing me a disservice. It’s a disservice to the country,” Gabam said,

He further reminded those accusing him of financial misappropriation that they were the ones who raised memos and that all their names were in the party’s account statement.

He said, “I’m sure by the time we submit the complete printout of our account from the banks to the security agencies, they will see everything. They will see everyone whose money has gone into his account—all the NWC members. It has not excluded anybody.

“He was once the chairman of the party. He should have also accounted for his tenure when he was party chairman. I’m ready to account for my tenure any minute, any time,” he added.

Gabam also stated that the crisis was long overdue and that they had been expecting it.

“We expected this crisis for quite a while. First, we’ve been waiting for them to expose their entire game plan before we respond to it. Happily enough, they have officially exposed themselves today.

“And I’m sure Nigerians will get to know those who are anti-democratic forces, who are conniving to disrupt political institutions, for whatever motivation. But I want to assure you that we are on. “

On the letter of request written by a group to INEC, Gabam said, “They used a legal firm to communicate to the INEC. This is a complete violation of the process of political parties in terms of communication with INEC.

“And if you look at the INEC letters, it specifies that any decision has to be jointly signed by the national chairman and national secretary. My signature is an authority signature. By our constitution, the national chairman is the party’s national leader and the party’s chief executive.”

PDP, LP lawmakers join APC, blame internal crises

Two members of the House of Representatives, Peter Akpanke and Paul Nnamchi, have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress  (APC), citing crises in their respective platforms.

Akpanke, who represents Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwara federal constituency of Cross River State, was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Nnamchi, who represented the Enugu East/Isi-Uzo federal constituency in Enugu, was a Labour Party (LP) member.

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, read their defection notices during Tuesday’s plenary.

Akpanke and Nnamchi attributed their defections to PDP and Labour Party crises.

PDP To Resolve National Secretary Posive Dispute After Meeting With INEC

The People Democratic Party (PDP) has said it will immediately resolve the controversy over who is the national secretary of the party.

PDP acting national chairman, Umar Damagum disclosed this while speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with the management of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Monday.

The meeting which bordered on the lingering controversy surrounding the position of the party’s national secretary was attended by governors elected on the platform of the PDP and other critical stakeholders.

They include Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.

Others were former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Governors Ahmad Makarfi and Seriake Dickson, as well as former PDP National Secretary Ben Obi.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Damagum said: “It was a very thorough and fruitful discussion. Politics, you know its dynamic and racking up as well.

“So we’ll go back and meet our larger stakeholders and disseminate all the discussion that has taken place today, and we’ll come up with a position immediately.”

In his remarks before the meeting went into closed doors, the PDP acting national chairman thanked INEC for granting the party the audience, saying the meeting was necessary to address concerns raised by the commission and to ensure clarity going forward.

“We are here today to discuss and interact with you sincerely because we had NEC, and there was a decision of NEC which mandated me to sign a letter to avoid controversy. And I received your reply on that letter, urging us to be guided by rules. So I think we are here to interact sincerely with you, off camera, so that it will guide us when we get back to have a position,” he said.

In his response, the INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu expressed concern over the inconsistency in the party’s communication, saying the commission received letters naming different individuals as national secretary and would like the party to clarify the true state of things.

“This meeting is at the instance of the party. As our stakeholders, we always look forward to engagements with political party leaders. Not long ago, we received a delegation from the Labour Party, so when the PDP expressed its interest to visit, we gladly welcomed the initiative.

“In the last couple of months, we received letters from the party indicating Mr. Udeh Okoye as the Secretary. Subsequently, the name changed to Senator Samuel Anyanwu, then to Mr. Koshoedo, and later reverted to Senator Anyanwu.

“The most recent correspondence had no secretary’s signature at all, only that of the chairman. This poses a procedural issue, as our guidelines require such communications to be signed jointly by the party’s chairman and secretary,”he said.

LEADERSHIP reports that INEC rejected the notice it received from PDP for its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for falling short of the requirement of part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.

In a letter dated June 13, 2025, addressed to the PDP national chairman and signed by INEC acting secretary, Haliru Aminu, the commission said both the national chairman and national secretary of the party are required to jointly sign the notice for NEC.

The letter, a copy of which was sighted by LEADERSHIP reads; “The commission draws your attention that the notice is not in compliance with the requirement of part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022 that provides ‘the national chairman and national secretary of the party shall jointly sign the notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting end submit same to the Commission.’ Be guided.”