SDP faction ‘expels’ party chair, others
A faction of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe has announced the expulsion of the party’s embattled national chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, and nine others. However, Gabam dismissed the faction’s decision as “unknown to law,” insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Certified True Copy submitted to the […]
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A faction of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe has announced the expulsion of the party’s embattled national chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, and nine others.
However, Gabam dismissed the faction’s decision as “unknown to law,” insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Certified True Copy submitted to the police does not recognise Gombe as a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC). He said any action purportedly taken by Gombe “in collusion with some NWC members” is null and void.
In a statement issued Thursday and signed by Gombe and 10 other members of the NWC, the faction said Gabam, alongside National Youth Leader Ogbonna Chukwuma Uchechukwu and nine others, had been found guilty of misconduct, financial misappropriation, malfeasance, gross abuse of office, and violations of the party’s constitution.
Apart from Gombe, who identified himself as the acting national chairman, the other signatories to the statement include Senator Ugochukwu Uba (Deputy National Chairman, South), Dr Olu Agunloye (National Secretary), Barr Aderemi Abimbola (National Legal Adviser), Barr Joseph Achile Abu (National Organising Secretary), and Araba Rufus Aiyenigba (National Publicity Secretary).
Others are Hajia Maggie Mariam Batubo (National Treasurer), Bello Ado Hussaini (National Financial Secretary), Hajiya Sa’adatu Abdullahi (National Woman Leader), Mrs Rosemary A. Effiong (National Labour and Civil Society Secretary), and Chief Lekan Alabi (National Leader, People with Disability).
Reacting to the development, Gabam said although the national secretary was listed among the signatories, he was not authorised to take such action unless duly delegated.
“But we’ve reached a point where lawlessness has taken over, and those trying to establish a one-party system are inducing crises in all political parties. The law is very clear,” he said.
“I was waiting for them to get to this point of breaching every process because I don’t want to be accused of trying to destabilise the party. Those attempting to hijack the SDP will not succeed. If you read the documents from INEC, you’ll realise what they’ve done is rubbish. Someone who isn’t a registered member of the party claiming to take over, in connivance with others because of their agenda, is absolutely rubbish. It doesn’t bother me one bit,” he added.