Chaos broke out at the national headquarters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Tuesday when armed individuals dressed in black stormed the premises, attacking journalists and staff members in a violent display that underscored the deepening crisis within the party.
The invasion occurred just hours after the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) announced the suspension of its National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, along with the National Auditor, Nnadi Clarkson, and the National Youth Leader, Chukwuma Uchechukwu. The suspended officials are facing serious allegations of financial misconduct, including embezzlement and diversion of party funds amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.
Sources said the chaos ensued during a scheduled press briefing at the party secretariat. Journalists on the ground were attacked, with several having their equipment seized. Some members of the media, including this reporter, suffered physical assaults before security forces intervened.
The party’s spokesperson, Rufus Aiyenigba, in a statement issued following the incident, disclosed that the NWC had taken action based on overwhelming evidence of unauthorised financial dealings and personal enrichment by the suspended officials. One of the issues cited was an allegedly unauthorised financial report submitted by Gabam to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which insiders say sparked internal uproar.
In response, the party leadership has moved swiftly to stabilise the situation. Dr. Sadiq Abubakar, the Deputy National Chairman (North), has been appointed as Acting National Chairman pending the outcome of internal investigations.
An interim panel has also been constituted to conduct a full audit of the party’s finances, particularly concerning proceeds from the sale of nomination forms ahead of the 2023 general elections—funds suspected to have been misused.
Aiyenigba stressed that the party maintains a firm stance against corruption, stating, “The SDP will not protect any individual found to have abused their office. Our objective is to restore public trust and reposition the party as a viable platform for national leadership.”
Formal notifications regarding the suspensions have been forwarded to INEC and relevant authorities as the party begins a broader effort to address internal lapses and reinforce accountability.
