Politics
SDP suspends national chair Gabam, auditor, youth leader over alleged financial misconduct
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has announced the immediate suspension of its National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, alongside two other top officials — National Auditor Nze Nnadi Clarkson and National Youth Leader Uchechukwu Ogbonna Chukwuma – over serious allegations of financial impropriety.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the National Working Committee (NWC) said the suspensions followed a unanimous resolution reached after “overwhelming evidence” was presented linking the affected officials to unauthorized financial transactions, embezzlement, and diversion of party funds for personal gain.
According to Aiyenigba, the suspended officials were found to have moved funds from the party’s accounts without NWC approval and were allegedly involved in a number of schemes aimed at personal enrichment. One of the key triggers for the action was the discovery that Gabam had submitted an unauthorized financial statement to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), bypassing the NWC.
“A summary of the fraudulent financial statement was even published in newspapers without the knowledge of the committee. This prompted the NWC to resolve to report the irregularities to appropriate law enforcement agencies,” the statement added.
In response to the crisis, the party has constituted an interim investigative panel tasked with auditing all financial records and recommending further disciplinary or legal actions.
“To maintain the integrity and values of the SDP, the suspension is necessary to allow for a full investigation. The party, regarded as a disciplined and credible political alternative, has zero tolerance for corruption,” Aiyenigba stated.
In the meantime, Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar, the Deputy National Chairman (North), has assumed leadership of the party as Acting National Chairman, in line with the party’s constitution.
The party also revealed that the funds in question run into hundreds of millions of naira, allegedly misappropriated from donations and proceeds from the sale of nomination forms during the 2023 general elections, among other party revenues.
The suspension of Gabam and the two other officials has been formally communicated to INEC and relevant law enforcement agencies.
“The suspension of Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, Nze Nnadi Clarkson, and Uchechukwu Ogbonna Chukwuma takes immediate effect,” Aiyenigba concluded.