The Social Democratic Party (SDP), once touted as Nigeria’s only crisis-free opposition party, is now grappling with internal turmoil following conflicting claims over new appointments to its National Working Committee (NWC). Last week, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, announced that three vacant positions—Deputy National Chairman (South), Deputy National Chairman (North), and National Financial Secretary—had been filled by Senator Ugochukwu Uba, Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar, and Mr. Hussaini Ado Bello, respectively. The move was initially seen as a strategic step to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, the announcement has sparked a major controversy. SDP National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, through Deputy National Secretary Muhammad Biu, dismissed the claims as “false, unauthorized, and misleading.” Gabam insisted that no constitutional meeting was held to approve these appointments, accusing certain individuals of attempting to destabilize the party. He emphasized the SDP’s commitment to due process and urged members to disregard the reports.
Adding to the confusion, the party’s National Secretary, Olu Agunloye, countered Gabam’s denial, asserting that the appointments were legitimate. Agunloye stated that 11 of the 12 NWC members attended a meeting on May 15, 2025, where eight voted in favor of the appointments. He alleged that Gabam, along with two other NWC members and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai—who recently defected to the SDP from the APC—are orchestrating the crisis to impose their interests. Agunloye claimed, “Gabam and two others who lost out are throwing tantrums together with Nasir El-Rufai, who amounts to nothing at his ward.”
Agunloye has formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the appointments, citing compliance with the SDP’s 2022 Constitution and the mandate from the June 8, 2022, National Convention. The letter detailed that the appointments are set for an initial four-year term or until the next National Convention.
This escalating conflict threatens to fracture the SDP, placing it in the same league as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), which have been mired in leadership disputes since the 2023 elections. As the SDP navigates this crisis, its ability to maintain unity and credibility as a viable opposition force ahead of 2027 hangs in the balance.
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