, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, has dismissed reports of his suspension as false and politically motivated, describing the move as a failed attempt to destabilize the party.){kind=link}
The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Shehu Gabam, has dismissed reports of his suspension as false and politically motivated, describing the move as a failed attempt to destabilize the party.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday at the SDP national secretariat in Abuja, Gabam insisted he remains the legitimate leader of the party and urged the public to ignore what he called a fabricated claim.
Earlier, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, had released a statement announcing Gabam’s suspension alongside two other members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), citing allegations of financial misconduct.
But Gabam, speaking in the presence of several National Working Committee (NWC) members, maintained that no official NWC meeting was held to authorize such action.
He questioned the authenticity of the suspension, emphasizing that any decision of that magnitude must follow due process.
“There was no formal NWC meeting where such a decision was taken. I remain the national chairman of the SDP, as you can all see,” Gabam said.
He further explained that a private legal firm had previously contacted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to notify it of a proposed NWC meeting.
The letter was signed only by the party’s National Secretary, Dr. Olu Agunloye. According to Gabam, INEC rejected the letter because it did not include his co-signature, which is required under party regulations.
“It is a breach of protocol to communicate with INEC through a private law firm. The commission made it clear that any correspondence must be jointly signed by both the national chairman and national secretary. My signature remains the authorizing seal,” Gabam stated.
On the allegations of financial mismanagement, Gabam said the accusations were baseless.
He pointed out that every financial transaction within the party is traceable and documented, and all NWC members are included in the financial records.
“When the bank statements are presented to the appropriate security agencies, they’ll see clearly where every kobo went. No one is left out, and I’m ready to account for my leadership anytime,” he said.
He also claimed that his accusers, including a former party chairman, should also be ready to account for their own tenures, adding that the recent turmoil was being orchestrated by a group within the party who failed in their attempt to seize control.
“This is not new. We’ve faced such internal sabotage before. There’s a coalition working behind the scenes with certain national officers to hijack the SDP or disrupt its operations,” Gabam alleged.
He accused these individuals of intentionally creating confusion because they view the SDP as a strong political force that cannot be easily manipulated.
“They have now exposed their intentions. Nigerians will soon come to see those who are working against democratic values by trying to weaken political institutions for selfish reasons,” he said.
Gabam also called on President Bola Tinubu to caution security agencies, warning that some politicians may attempt to use them to destabilize democratic structures.
“This is not just an attack on me or the party—it’s a threat to democracy itself,” he said.
AFRIPOST had yesterday reported a statement issued by Aiyenigba, stating that the party said the suspension was necessary to allow a proper investigation into the allegations.
It also named Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar, as the acting leader of the party pending the conclusion of the probe.