 State Chairmen has declared its full support for the suspension of the party’s National Chairman){kind=link}
The Forum of Social Democratic Party (SDP) State Chairmen has declared its full support for the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, calling it a vital step to uphold internal democracy and party integrity.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Friday, Femi Olaniyi, who chairs the forum, spoke on behalf of all 36 state chairmen, insisting that the decision to suspend Gabam, along with the National Auditor, Clarkson Nnadi, and the National Youth Leader, Ogbonna Chukwuma, was well-justified.
“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 said.
He emphasised that the action was taken due to recurring concerns over alleged financial mismanagement, undemocratic practices, and breaches of the party’s constitution.
The chairmen accused Gabam of excluding state chapters from financial allocations provided for in the party’s constitution, claiming that no funds had reached them despite numerous appeals.
“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,’” Olaniyi alleged.
They further pressed for the immediate convening of a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which they said had not occurred since Gabam took office, an outright violation of party rules.
Olaniyi called on the Acting National Chairman and National Secretary to urgently restore constitutional order, stressing that the matter was about party discipline, not political ambition.
The chairmen also pledged to nominate a delegate to the party’s Disciplinary Investigation Panel and urged that the process be conducted transparently and free from any political manipulation.