The SDP crisis took a new turn, because Shehu Gabam denied the suspension, blaming the ‘new coalition’ for party misery

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has plunged deeper into the crisis as its national chairman that was fought, Shehu Musa Gabam, rejected his reported suspension, calling it “Fake News” governed by internal internal disserters who are determined to confuse the party.

He said the crisis in the party was being engineered by certain outside troops and “newly formed coalition”, determined to control the party structure.

Gabam made this known on Tuesday during the Press Briefing at the National Secretariat in Abuja, stating that he remained the legal leader of the party. “I remain the Chairperson of the SDP as you can see,” he told reporters. “There is no official meeting of the National Work Committee (NWC) where such decisions were taken. So where did this come from?”

Earlier that day, the Secretary of the National Publication of the Party, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, released a statement that announced the suspension with two other NWC members, National Auditor Nnadi Clarkson and National Youth Leader Uchkechukwu Chukwuma. They were accused of committing financial violations, including embezzlement, abuse, and unauthorized movement of party funds.

According to NWC’s statement, the decision followed the extraordinary evidence presented at the Committee meeting, and the suspension was executed based on Article 19.1, 19.3 (i), and 19.5 of the 2022 party constitution (as amended). The temporary investigation panel is reported to have been formed for the audit party account and recommend further action, while the Deputy Chairperson of the National, Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar, has been instructed to consider leadership waiting for the results of the investigation.

Gabam, however, strongly opposed the process, revealed that the Independent National Election Commission (Inec) had rejected the request, signed by the National Secretary Dr. Olu Agunloye and handed over through private law firms, to hold party meetings without his involvement. “Inec said the request was illegal because it did not have my signature,” he said, adding that the transfer did not have procedural and constitutional services.

The chairman who was fought accused certain numbers in the party and the newly formed crisis engineering coalition for plowing SDP or making it ineffective. “We know where this came from,” Gabam said. “These are people who cannot control SDP and now want to destroy it. Some of the power to see this party is too strong to be manipulated.”

Even more unsettling, Gabam accused that the elements in state security architecture were used to intimidate party officials and silence different votes. “Whenever leaders do not tolerate differences of opinion, democracy is endangered,” he warned. “This is dangerous for our country.”

He asked the Tinubu Ball President to intervene and control the bodies that exceeded the limits. “They not only hurt the party, they hurt the nation,” Gabam said. “I hope the supreme commander will not let this kind of anarchy develop.”

For allegations of financial irregularities, Gabam promises full transparency, noting that all transactions can be tracked. “Everyone in NWC received funds. Their names were all in the party bank records,” he said. “Let the bank give a statement. I am ready to calculate my term of office at any time.”

He further rejected efforts to communicate with Inec through external legal representatives as non -constitutional. “Communication with Inec must bear the signature of the national chairman and secretary,” he stressed. “According to our constitution, the national chairman is the leader and chief executive of the party. My signature is the signature of authority.”