ABUJA— CRISIS broke out at the secretariat of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, as supporters of both the National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, and those loyal to the presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Adewole Adebayo, engaged in a free-for-all all.
Following the clash yesterday in Abuja during the meeting of the SDP National Working Committee, NWC, the gate of the national headquarters was pulled down.
The trouble, which started at 11.20 am at the party’s headquarters on 16 Nairobi Street, Abuja, snowballed into a serious commotion during which many were beaten, leaving some with various degrees of injuries.
Security personnel stationed at the premises and suspected thugs invited to help in the fight were able to overcome those allegedly loyal to Adebayo’s camp and the National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba.
Some of the journalists invited to cover the party’s NWC meeting were also manhandled.
While Arise TV had its camera seized, and later returned to the cameraman for filming the conflict, the Punch reporter, Francis Adebayo, was manhandled and his clothes torn for refusing to surrender the phone he used to record the incident.
Police from Wuse Division and the FCT Command arrived at the premises to take charge of security to prevent further breakdown of law and order as they were seen appealing to people to leave the premises. Still, the thugs resisted, claiming they were members of the party.
Speaking on the reason for the crisis, one of the private security personnel, who did not want his name in print, said trouble started when security personnel who manned the gate of the building were locked out to prevent members loyal to the national chairman from entering the venue of the meeting.
According to him, the fight forced both parties to pull down the gate in the process.
NWC suspends chairman, 2 others
Meanwhile, the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, has suspended its National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, over allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation and diversion of party funds.
It also suspended two members of the NWC, namely Nze Nnadi Clarkson, National Auditor, and Uchechukwu Chukwuma, National Youth Leader, over the same offence.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, in a statement, said the decision followed a resolution of a meeting of the NWC, where overwhelming evidence was presented linking the suspended officials to a series of unauthorised financial transactions,
The statement reads: “In exercise of its exclusive powers as guaranteed in Article 19.1; 19.3(i) and 19.5 of the party constitution (2022 as Amended), the National Working Committee, NWC, of Social Democratic Party, SDP, has approved the immediate suspension of the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, along with two members of the National Working Committee, NWC, namely Nze Nnadi Clarkson, National Auditor, and Uchechukwu Chukwuma, National Youth Leader, over grave allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation and diversion of party funds.
“The decision followed a resolution of a meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, where overwhelming evidence were 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 necessary approvals of the NWC.
“An interim investigative panel has been constituted to audit all financial records and recommend further disciplinary or legal actions.
“In the interim, the Deputy National Chairman, Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar, has been directed to assume leadership of the party, pending the outcome of the investigations.
“The misappropriated funds amount to hundreds of millions of naira, including donations and resources realised from the sales of nomination forms in the 2023 general elections and other funds from the party accounts.
“The suspension has been communicated to the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, and all relevant anti-graft and security agencies have been formally notified.
“The suspension of Alhaji Gabam, Nze Clarkson, and Chukwuma takes immediate effect. The general public is hereby requested to be appropriately guided by the development.”
Forum of state chairmen backs NWC
The Forum of State Chairmen of the SDP, however, threw its weight behind the party’s decision.
The forum, in a statement by the Chairman of the SDP Forum of State Chairmen, Femi Olaniyi, said: “The Forum of State Chairmen of the SDP would like to extend our congratulations to the acting chairman on his appointment during this crucial time in our political landscape.
“We would also like to express our appreciation to the National Working Committee for making this bold and necessary decision to protect our party from individuals, who have abused the trust given to them by party stakeholders and financial members. Furthermore, some of these individuals have engaged in behaviour resembling gangsterism.
“We encourage thorough investigations to help cleanse the entire system. The Forum is alarmed that, despite the substantial funds belonging to the party, which have been misappropriated by unpatriotic officials, state chapters are still struggling with issues related to office rent.”
I remain SDP Chairman— Gabam
Meanwhile, the embattled chairman of the SDP, Alhaji Shehu Gabam has debunked his suspension from office, describing it as “fake news” which should be disregarded.
Speaking after his suspension at the party’s National Secretariat, Gabam said: “I remain the national Chairman of the SDP as you can see.”
Gabam, who accused the new Coalition of instigating his suspension, said: “The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, tagged the request by the party’s National Secretary to hold a National Working Committee, NWC, meeting illegal since it wasn’t having my signature.”
Absolving himself of alleged fraud, he said: “I’m sure by the time we submit the complete printout of our account from the banks to the security agencies, they will see everything. I’m ready to account for my tenure any minute, any time. We expected this crisis for quite a while.”
VANGUARD.
