2027: SDP won’t be vehicle for selfish politicians – Chairman

In this interview with Weekend Trust, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), spoke on key issues concerning the party. He addressed the speculation that opposition politicians and discontented members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are considering using the SDP as a platform to challenge President Bola Ahmed […]

In this interview with Weekend Trust, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), spoke on key issues concerning the party. He addressed the speculation that opposition politicians and discontented members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are considering using the SDP as a platform to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, among other issues.

 

The SDP seems to be experiencing resurgence as it has been in the news lately. Would you say you now have a new SDP or it is the same party from 1992?

Well, I can say it is the same party as it is an offshoot of the SDP that was registered during the Babangida administration, alongside the National Republican Convention (NRC). However, because of the name, logo and ideology of the party, some individuals who were part of the Babangida administration, who the former military president Babangida acknowledged for their contributions, felt that it was necessary to register the name SDP again with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

So, while it is an offshoot, the party retains the same logo and slogan – white horse/progress, as well as the same colours: green, orange and white.

We have upheld those founding philosophies, while also modernising the party to address contemporary challenges. Issues that belong to the past have been left there.

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We have repackaged the SDP into a modern party, one that is better than any in Nigeria’s history. We have ensured that the party is well structured in terms of administration and delivery. Members of our National Working Committee (NWC) are well equipped to discharge their responsibilities, and I have no doubt that they are capable of representing the party anywhere, at any time.

We have also created a conducive working environment for party officials. For instance, we have built an indoor media studio – something no other party in Nigeria has done – where we edit and transmit directly from our offices.

We cover our own events and conduct ourselves as a party that takes leadership recruitment seriously. This is to prevent the continuous production of half-baked leaders, which has contributed to the challenges Nigeria faces today. Some of us who were founding members of the PDP, particularly from the G7, understand what we went through in that party, and we are determined not to repeat the same mistakes.

That is why anyone who joins the SDP from another party automatically becomes a full-fledged member. You just witnessed an example: a prominent female politician from Zaria, Kaduna State, who has been following SDP’s development, recently came to our headquarters in Abuja to collect her membership card.

We have also redesigned our membership cards, requiring signatures from the national chairman and secretary. This prevents controversies where local government or state chairmen, who may not be aligned with the party’s leadership, attempt to deny membership to certain individuals. We have restructured the SDP to be unique and distinctive in its operations, ensuring that it remains a truly national platform for all Nigerians.

 

There have been political permutations that some politicians, whether formerly or currently in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as others from opposition parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are coming together to form a third force. Some suggest the SDP may be the vehicle for this third force in 2027. How do you respond to this?

I am sure you have seen some of them, but there are many more you haven’t seen. The ones you are reacting to are just those captured by the media; there are many others whose involvement has not been publicised because it wasn’t intended for media attention.

However, no party can match the SDP in terms of transparency, commitment and track record. We run this party like a structured civil service institution.

We operate from Monday to Friday, and I don’t think any other political party in Nigeria dedicates as much time and effort to institution building as we do. Our staff salaries are paid up to date. If you are at the SDP headquarters right now, you can see for yourself the structures we have put in place.

Beyond that, we are not desperate for new members at the expense of the party’s integrity. That is why, from day one we ruled out the idea of a merger. We are not considering any merger because mergers often lead to crises.

 

Why do you say that?

Because it happens to all parties that have merged. Mergers come with conditions. You have to meet those conditions; and the moment you fail to do so, the same group of people who pushed for the merger will be used to create a crisis in the party. The SDP is open to every Nigerian.

Our rules are simple: join the SDP as an individual from your ward, local government or state and you will have equal rights with any other member.

You can contest for any position – from councillorship to the presidency without encumbrances. We don’t want people joining with excess baggage and false claims, acting as if nothing could happen without them. Everything will happen without them. They do not own this country. Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians. The SDP is the only party that has no godfather. Members of the NWC determine how the party is run.

We robustly manage ourselves, discuss issues, rationalise our positions and take decisions independently. We don’t report to anyone. We have built an institution that stands on its own.

So, those who are desperate to take over the party just because it is gaining popularity and seen as a “beautiful bride” are making a big mistake. We will not allow people who have destroyed their own parties, failed to fix them and now want to rush in and create crisis for us. That will not happen.

However, we welcome anyone who is genuinely ready to contribute to the growth of the SDP. They are free to participate in any elective position, whether at the ward, local government, state or national level when the time comes. We want to maintain our stability and focus.

We fought hard to win our elections. We struggled through tough conditions to achieve success, and we know what we went through.

The SDP is not for those thinking that they can take over the party, or everything would be handed over to them on a silver platter. It took time and efforts to build this party into what it is today.

There have also been many rumours, often spread by those with a defeatist mindset, suggesting that the SDP is being funded by the presidency. That is completely false.

We have never received funding from the president, governor or any individual. I challenge anyone with evidence to publish it, including you journalists. You are free to investigate.

 

The allegation you are referring to was made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Are you denying his claim that the presidency is funding opposition parties to weaken them?

Yes. Not only do I deny it, I also told the former vice president directly that he is incorrect. I challenged him to provide evidence and publish it. Has he done that? No; and that is because there is nothing to support his claim.

I don’t know the source of his information, but I have my own facts and there is no such thing. I cannot speak for other parties, but I know that N50 million is not a small sum. If the presidency were making monthly payments of N50 million to political parties, there would be evidence. Besides, the government itself struggles to pay salaries.

If the government genuinely wants to fund political institutions, which are also employers of labour, there is nothing wrong with that as long as it follows due process and remains accountable. Traditionally, it is INEC that disburses such funds following clear guidelines. If funding is done through proper channels, parties will be held accountable.

However, if money is being given through the backdoor, that is not funding, it is corruption. When political parties receive funding through legitimate means, they must account for it to the INEC. Our party’s financial records are audited internally and externally, and we publish them in two national dailies as a mark of transparency. The law requires this.

We are straightforward, sincere and committed to changing Nigeria’s political landscape.

 

There are political permutations about forming a new alliance? There have also been reports that a former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai is involved in gathering political leaders for a new movement. Some claim that Atiku and El-Rufai are working together. Given Atiku’s allegations, where does that place him in this political realignment?

The former vice president made a general statement. Immediately after his comment, I received calls from five or six media houses, and I denied it. I also challenged anyone with evidence to publish it.

Investigative journalists have looked into the claim and none has found the SDP to be an instrument for anyone’s selfish agenda; yet some are going around calling it a transactional party. How did the SDP become transactional? The real transactional politicians are those who have moved from one party to another, striking deals with the government. We are not part of that. Our record is clear.

We are not interested in engaging in petty disputes with people simply because they are not getting their way. Those who allowed their own parties to collapse are now labelling others as transactional. The very people who traded away their own parties for personal gain are the ones making baseless accusations.

We are maintaining our integrity and sanity. The SDP is a national platform.

This does not mean there won’t be discussions or understandings among members, but the SDP will not be used as a tool for intimidation or political blackmail just because some people feel that nothing can happen without them. Many things have happened without them, and history will continue to produce leaders in this country without them.

We have no insecurity about our place in Nigerian politics.

 

You said the party is open to anyone with a genuine interest. Are you in discussion with Mallam Nasir El-Rufai?

I wonder why you are being specific on El-Rufai; perhaps because you saw him visit the SDP secretariat last year. Let me clarify that many people are engaging with the party. I meet different interest groups almost every week. Regarding El-Rufai, I have already explained the situation. My relationship with him started over 30 years ago and it has always been separate from political affiliations. He pursued his political path with the APC while I remained in the PDP despite attempts to convince me.

Our personal relationship continued because it was not built on party politics. If at some point in the future our political interests align, that would be good for us. We understand each other’s strengths, and once we harmonise them, I can assure you that some people will be uncomfortable.

For now, we are still friends. He has not officially joined the SDP, but we have ongoing discussions on national, economic and political issues about what we can do collectively to help salvage the country and ensure that the right things are done.

However, if he or anyone else decides to join the SDP, they will be welcomed with open arms.

 

Are you saying the SDP will be the third force to beat in 2027?

We are already the third force. Not the Labour Party. If you examine the situation closely, most of Labour Party’s elected members have defected. But all our elected senators, House of Representatives members and state assembly members remain intact, so do our councillors. We won elections at various levels. Even in Rivers State, where our local government victory was taken away, we still secured a councillorship position.

We are upholding the principles that define our party, ensuring that we remain on the right side of history. Everything we do now is about laying a foundation for younger generations.

Political parties should be institutions for leadership recruitment and that is exactly the legacy we are building.