The leadership crisis rocking the Social Democratic Party (SDP) worsened on Thursday as rival factions clashed at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, prompting a heavy police takeover of the premises.
The development came barely two days before the party’s planned national convention in Bauchi State.
The crisis reportedly started when the expelled former National Chairman of the party, Shehu Musa Gabam, allegedly arrived at the secretariat with some police officers and supporters in what party officials described as an attempt to force out the current National Chairman, Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe.
Sources at the secretariat said the group allegedly chased away the party’s internal security personnel before the situation escalated.
New Telegraph gathered that the party’s National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye, contacted the FCT Commissioner of Police, who subsequently deployed additional officers to the scene.
The police team, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Wuse Division, later took over the premises and reportedly ordered all party staff and officials out of the secretariat.
Speaking with journalists, Agunloye described the incident as shocking, especially as the party was concluding preparations for its national convention scheduled for Saturday in Bauchi.
According to him, the SDP had just received a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) inviting the party to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) meeting with the Gabam faction.
“I was in my office trying to reply to a letter we got from INEC when these people stormed the secretariat with their thugs and forcefully pulled down the gate,” Agunloye alleged.
He questioned why INEC, which had monitored the party’s congresses and preparations for the Bauchi convention, would suddenly convene an ADR meeting on the eve of the convention.
Despite the crisis, the SDP leadership insisted that the Bauchi convention would proceed as planned.
Addressing journalists separately, National Chairman Gombe alleged that the secretariat was invaded by thugs alongside Gabam during the party’s final preparations for the convention.
He maintained that the party had complied with all constitutional and electoral requirements, including proper notification to INEC.
Gombe denied the existence of any crisis within the party, insisting that disciplinary actions taken against some former officials followed due process and were ratified by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
According to him, INEC monitored the NEC meeting where the leadership decisions and disciplinary measures were adopted.
He accused unnamed external forces of interfering in the internal affairs of the party and urged members nationwide to remain calm and travel to Bauchi for the convention.
“The party will emerge stronger after the convention despite ongoing disputes,” Gombe stated.
Agunloye also reaffirmed that the convention would hold as scheduled, despite what he described as security interference and attempts to destabilise the party.
He alleged that security operatives used tear gas at the secretariat, forcing members to flee while preparations were ongoing.
According to him, police intervention created an opening for an attempted takeover of the party secretariat.
Meanwhile, Gabam has announced plans to hold a separate convention in Abuja on May 17, further deepening the leadership crisis within the opposition party.
When the DPO was asked to explain why they were at the party, National Secretariat, he referred journalists to call the Police Public Relations Officer.
