The internal crisis rocking the Social Democratic Party took a new dimension on Friday as the party’s National Executive Committee dissolved the National Working Committee led by suspended National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, over the leadership tussle.
The resolution was reached at an emergency NEC meeting held in Abuja and presided over by the party’s National Financial Secretary, Ibrahim Biu.
“The NWC, by this resolution, stands dissolved. We hereby nominate the following persons to take charge of the affairs of our great party, and to move the party forward,” Biu announced.
The newly constituted interim leadership includes Adamu Modibo (National Chairman), Abubakar Dogara (Deputy Chairman), Ekpeyong Ambo (National Secretary), Joseph Abu (National Organising Secretary), and Chief Solsuema Osaro (National Legal Adviser). Others named were Judith Shuaibu (National Publicity Secretary), Ibrahim Biu (Financial Secretary), and Eluwa Ifeanyi (National Youth Speaker).
But the embattled National Secretary of the SDP, Dr Olu Agunloye, described the dissolution of the NWC as illegal, describing the NEC meeting that made the pronouncement as invalid.
Biu lamented that the drastic step became necessary after all attempts to resolve the impasse failed.
“In the last couple of months, our party, unfortunately, was engulfed in a leadership crisis. You are fully aware, somehow, that the party has been factionalised. A group loyal to the National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye, suspended the National Chairman, Shehu Gabam on allegations of misappropriation and fraud.”
“On the other hand, the national chairman debunked those allegations and equally considered the so-called appointments made by the group of the secretary as illegal. That resulted in a kind of scuffle to the extent that the two groups clashed at the National Secretariat of SDP. That created a crisis that security operatives had to intervene in.”
He expressed regret that its reconciliation efforts had yielded no result, stressing that the continued division was threatening the party’s survival.
“This has seriously affected our supporters, and we felt all these efforts we put in the last three years, since our last convention in 2022, seem to be lost, and we cannot afford it.”
“We have put in so much effort to build this party to this level. It’s for this reason that we decided to say, let’s come together.
“If the leadership of the party are not ready to provide remedy to this situation, then you, NEC members, especially at the state, should come together and see what we can do so that we can restore the confidence and trust of our teaming supporters,” he added.
However, Agunloye, in a statement released shortly after the announcement, alleged that the meeting was a ploy by loyalists of a rival faction.
“This is to let members of the National Executive Committee of our great party know that the National Working Committee at its meeting passed a resolution, dissociating itself and the national leadership of the party from the so-called NEC meeting in Abuja.
“The NWC urges all our elected federal and state legislators, zonal officers, and state chairmen, to disregard this illegal and irregular NEC meeting. About 13 state chairmen had already sent sworn affidavits through various lawyers to the INEC chairman to dissociate selves from the Bissallah-Modibbo NEC Call, claiming their signatures were misappropriated and improperly used.
“The NWC enjoins all our esteemed State Chairmen to be properly guided and not be lured into a trap to avoid sanctions for breach of SDP Constitution,” he stated.
In a related development, the party also announced its withdrawal from the coalition of opposition parties recently spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress.
Addressing journalists, Dogara said, “Recently, there was this issue of coming together of major political stakeholders in the country and some political parties to form a coalition, which SDP was part of in the initial stage.
“But later, the person that represented SDP in that coalition meeting explained to the coalition that SDP are still contesting the by-elections across our 12 states and that the party was not ready to lose our identity. So, the party decided to remain as SDP for the time being.
“Stakeholders were engaged later and everybody agreed that the party should remain as an individual political party. Therefore, the SDP is not part of the coalition. So, we will be contesting in the 2027 general elections with our presidential candidates and vice presidential candidates.”
SDP disowns El-Rufai
In a further twist, the SDP has formally disassociated itself from former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, stating that he was not a member of the party and had no mandate to represent or speak on its behalf.
The disclaimer was issued by the party’s Zonal Secretary (North-West), Inuwa Idris, during a press conference in Kaduna.
“It has come to our attention that Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i has taken it upon himself to appear in various fora, including policy dialogues, stakeholder engagements, and even private strategy meetings purporting to speak on behalf of the Social Democratic Party.
“Let this be made unequivocally clear to all: Malam El-Rufa’i is not authorised, mandated, or recognised by the SDP in any capacity to represent its interests, articulate its positions, or speak on its behalf.
“His actions were carried out entirely without the knowledge, consent, or approval of the party’s national leadership—including our dynamic acting National Chairman, Dr Sadiq Umar, among others.”
Idris said El-Rufai’s name was not listed in any official membership records and warned individuals and groups not to associate his utterances with the SDP.
He reaffirmed the party’s leadership structure comprising Dr Sadiq Umar as acting National Chairman, Agunloye as National Secretary, and Prince Adewole Adebayo as the 2023 presidential candidate.
Idris also condemned the actions of Dr Umar Ardo, calling for his suspension from the party over alleged support for the ADC while still claiming to act under the SDP banner.
“We pass a vote of no confidence on Malam Nasiru El-Rufa’i.
“We call for the immediate suspension of Dr Umar Ardo from SDP, as he is now a known promoter of a new political party, the ADC. Resorting to the use of the SDP Platform is the height of desperation and a crass display of failure in political brinkmanship.
“Let this serve as a final warning for them. Desist from your fraudulent activities
