Thugs Attacks SDP Headquarters Over Suspension Of Party Chairman, Shehu Gabam

Chaos broke out at the Social Democratic Party (SDP) national headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday as a group of thugs, dressed in black, stormed the premises and attacked journalists and party staff.

The incident comes shortly after the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) announced the suspension of key national figures, including the National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, the National Auditor, Nnadi Clarkson, and the National Youth Leader, Chukwuma Uchechukwu.

KanyiDaily recalls that the suspended officials were accused of financial misconduct, ranging from embezzlement, misappropriation, and unauthorised diversion of party funds running into hundreds of millions of naira.

Journalists who had gathered at the party’s office for a scheduled press conference were caught in the crossfire.

The reporters had their phones and cameras confiscated, while others were physically assaulted before security forces arrived to restore order.

The violence unfolded shortly after SDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, issued a statement confirming the suspensions.

According to him, the NWC acted based on “overwhelming evidence” showing that the trio engaged in unauthorised transactions and siphoned party funds for personal gain.

“The decision followed resolutions made by members of the NWC, where overwhelming evidence was 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 the committee’s approval,” the statement read.

The situation reportedly worsened after Gabam allegedly submitted financial statements to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and leaked sensitive financial details to the media without the NWC’s consent.

“The NWC resolved to alert law enforcement agencies and commence a full-scale internal investigation,” Aiyenigba revealed, emphasising that the party “has zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of office.”

In response to the crisis, the NWC has appointed Dr. Sadiq Abubakar, the Deputy National Chairman (North), to serve as the Acting National Chairman while investigations continue.

Aiyenigba also revealed that an interim investigative panel has been set up to review all financial activities, particularly transactions linked to nomination form sales from the 2023 general elections, which are suspected to have been mismanaged.

“The party will not shield any individual found guilty. Our goal is to restore public confidence in the SDP as a credible alternative for national leadership,” Aiyenigba added.

The party said it has notified INEC, anti-corruption agencies, and security bodies about the suspensions and the unfolding situation.

KanyiDaily recalls that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, recently resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing dissatisfaction with the ruling party’s direction.