The crisis in the Social Democratic Party got worse on Friday as the party’s National Executive Committee removed all members of the National Working Committee, including its suspended National Chairman, Shehu Gabam.
The NEC made this decision at an emergency meeting held in Abuja. The meeting was led by the party’s National Financial Secretary, Ibrahim Biu.
“The NWC, by this resolution, stands dissolved. We hereby nominate the following persons to take charge of the affairs of our great party,” Biu said.
The new interim leaders named were Adamu Modibo as National Chairman, Abubakar Dogara as Deputy Chairman, Ekpeyong Ambo as National Secretary, Joseph Abu as National Organising Secretary, and Chief Solsuema Osaro as National Legal Adviser. Others include Judith Shuaibu as National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Biu as Financial Secretary, and Eluwa Ifeanyi as National Youth Speaker.
Biu said the NEC had no other choice after months of failed peace efforts.
“In the last couple of months, our party, unfortunately, was engulfed in a leadership crisis. You are fully aware that the party has been factionalised. A group loyal to the National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye, suspended the National Chairman, Shehu Gabam on allegations of misappropriation and fraud,” he explained.
He said Gabam denied the allegations, and both sides clashed at the national secretariat, forcing security agents to step in.
“This has seriously affected our supporters, and we felt all these efforts we put in the last three years, since our last convention in 2022, seem to be lost,” Biu added.
However, the party’s embattled National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye, rejected the action. He called the meeting illegal and described it as a ploy by loyalists of a rival group.
“This is to let members of the National Executive Committee of our great party know that the National Working Committee at its meeting passed a resolution, dissociating itself and the national leadership of the party from the so-called NEC meeting in Abuja,” Agunloye said in a statement.
He urged party leaders to ignore the decision, claiming that some state chairmen had already filed affidavits with the Independent National Electoral Commission to deny being part of the meeting.
“The NWC enjoins all our esteemed State Chairmen to be properly guided and not be lured into a trap to avoid sanctions for breach of SDP Constitution,” he warned.
In another twist, the party also pulled out of the opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress.
“Recently, there was this issue of coming together of major political stakeholders in the country… which SDP was part of in the initial stage,” Deputy Chairman Abubakar Dogara told journalists.
He said the party’s representatives explained that they were still contesting by-elections in 12 states and didn’t want to lose their identity.
“Therefore, the SDP is not part of the coalition. So, we will be contesting in the 2027 general elections with our presidential candidates and vice presidential candidates,” Dogara said.
Meanwhile, the party has also distanced itself from former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
In a press conference in Kaduna, the SDP’s Zonal Secretary (North-West), Inuwa Idris, said El-Rufai was not a member of the party and had no right to speak on its behalf.
“It has come to our attention that Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i has taken it upon himself to appear in various fora… purporting to speak on behalf of the Social Democratic Party.
“Let this be made unequivocally clear to all: Malam El-Rufa’i is not authorised, mandated, or recognised by the SDP in any capacity,” Idris said.
He warned the public not to link El-Rufai’s statements to the party, saying his name was not on their membership list.
He also confirmed the leadership of Dr Sadiq Umar as acting National Chairman, Agunloye as National Secretary, and Prince Adewole Adebayo as the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
Idris went on to demand the suspension of Dr Umar Ardo for allegedly promoting ADC while still claiming to represent the SDP.
“We pass a vote of no confidence on Malam Nasiru El-Rufa’i. We call for the immediate suspension of Dr Umar Ardo from SDP,” he said.
