Violence broke out at the national secretariat of the Social Democratic Party in Abuja on Tuesday, as suspected thugs stormed the premises and attacked journalists amid a deepening leadership crisis in the party.
The chaos followed the announcement by a faction of the party’s National Working Committee, suspending National Chairman, Alhaji Musa Gabam, alongside the National Auditor, Nnadi Clarkson, and National Youth Leader, Chukwuma Uchechukwu, over alleged financial misconduct.
Journalists present for a scheduled press briefing were assaulted by the attackers, who were reportedly loyal to the embattled chairman.
Gabam, however, dismissed the suspension as “fake news” orchestrated by political opponents, insisting he remains the legitimate chairman of the SDP.
The usually quiet secretariat turned into a theatre of confusion a few hours after the NWC announced the immediate suspension of Gabam, Clarkson, and Uchechukwu, through the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba.
“The decision followed resolutions made by members of the NWC, where overwhelming evidence was presented linking the suspended officials to a series of unauthorised financial transactions, personal enrichment schemes, and movement of funds from the party’s accounts without the committee’s approval,” the statement read.
According to the party’s leadership, the situation escalated when Gabam allegedly submitted an unauthorised financial statement to the Independent National Electoral Commission and caused a summary of the suspect accounts to be published in the media.
This, insiders said, prompted alarm within the party’s inner circle.
“The NWC resolved to alert law enforcement agencies and commence a full-scale internal investigation,” Aiyenigba revealed, emphasising that the party “has zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of office.”
In the wake of the crisis, the NWC appointed Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar, Deputy National Chairman (North), as acting National Chairman, pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.
Aiyenigba also disclosed that an interim investigative panel had been constituted to audit all financial records and recommend possible legal action against those found culpable.
The committee is expected to scrutinise all transactions, especially those related to the proceeds from nomination forms sold ahead of the 2023 general elections—funds believed to have been misappropriated.
“The party will not shield any individual found guilty. Our goal is to restore public confidence in the SDP as a credible alternative for national leadership,” he added.
The suspensions, according to the NWC, had already been formally communicated to INEC and other relevant agencies.
Reacting Gabam denied reports of his suspension from office, insisting he remained firmly in charge.
He accused unnamed political forces of orchestrating a plot to destabilise the party from within.
In a press conference held Tuesday at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, Gabam, flanked by members of the NWC, described the purported suspension as “fake news” and a product of political mischief.
“I remain the National Chairman of the SDP, as you can see,” he declared confidently.
“There has been no NWC meeting where such a decision was taken. The report is baseless and should be disregarded,” he added.
Gabam blamed the growing crisis on a political coalition allegedly working with disgruntled elements within the SDP to fracture the party’s leadership.
According to him, these forces were determined to either take over the SDP or destroy it entirely.
“We’ve seen this before. Certain people believe that if they can’t have the SDP, they must cripple it. They see us as a threat—too strong to manipulate. That’s why they are fueling internal chaos,” he said.
The embattled chairman revealed that attempts were made by private legal actors to convene an NWC meeting without his knowledge.
He said the request, which was submitted to INEC and signed by the party’s National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye, was rejected by the commission for lacking due authorisation.
“INEC made it clear that the request was illegal because it didn’t carry my signature.
“That tells you everything you need to know about the legitimacy of the claims against me,” he said.
Gabam issued a stern warning about the implications of such power plays, urging President Bola Tinubu to call security agencies to order and prevent politicians from using them as tools of political intimidation.
“This is dangerous territory for our democracy,” he said. “Once dissenting voices are no longer tolerated, democracy is under threat. The misuse of security agencies to settle political scores is a disservice not just to me or the SDP—but to Nigeria as a whole,” he said.
Responding to allegations of financial mismanagement, Gabam maintained his innocence and said all financial transactions under his leadership were properly documented.
The SDP was among the parties being touted as a vehicle for the coalition groups to unseat President Tinubu in 2027.
After a fallout with the party, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, joined the SDP, rallying the base for a political battle against the All Progressives Congress.
