The recent suspension of Shehu Gabam, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, was endorsed by a conference of party chairmen on Friday, who said it was an essential step to purify the party and preserve its fundamental principles of openness and internal democracy.
At a press conference in Abuja, Forum Chairman Femi Olaniyi spoke on behalf of the 36 state chairmen, denying allegations of an internal crisis and reaffirming the party’s commitment to provide Nigerians with a legitimate political option.
“There is no crisis within the SDP. What we are doing is internal cleansing, not internal crisis. We cannot point fingers at the ruling government’s corruption while turning a blind eye to misconduct within our own ranks,” Olaniyi declared.
The forum reiterated its support for the National Working Committee’s decision to suspend Gabam, along with the National Auditor Clarkson Nnadi and National Youth Leader Ogbonna Chukwuma.
The chairmen cited issues of alleged financial mismanagement, autocratic leadership, and constitutional breaches by the suspended officials.
According to Olaniyi, several state chapters had consistently raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the handling of party funds, accusing Gabam of sidelining the states from financial allocations guaranteed by the party’s constitution.
“No state chapter has received a dime from the funds raised. Every time we asked for our constitutionally mandated share, we were met with threats of suspension or removal. It’s the classic case of ‘monkey dey work, baboon dey chop,’” he alleged.
The chairmen also called for the immediate convening of a meeting of the National Executive Committee, which they noted had not been summoned since Gabam assumed office, a direct violation of the SDP constitution, they said.
“We urge the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary to act swiftly by calling for a NEC meeting, which is long overdue. This is a matter of restoring constitutional order and not about political ambition or 2027 power play,” Olaniyi declared
The chairmen also offered to nominate a representative to the party’s Disciplinary Investigation Panel and insisted that all investigations be conducted transparently and independently, without political interference.
