A major financial scandal has hit the Social Democratic Party (SDP), resulting in the suspension of its National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, along with the party’s National Auditor, Nnadi Clarkson, and National Youth Leader, Chukwuma Uchechukwu.
The suspensions, announced on Tuesday by the National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba, stemmed from allegations of financial misconduct, including diversion of party funds, unauthorised transactions, and attempts at personal enrichment.
According to Aiyenigba, the affected party leaders were implicated in a string of irregular financial activities executed without the knowledge or approval of the National Working Committee (NWC).
“They engaged in questionable transactions and diverted party funds without the consent of the leadership,” the statement read.
The SDP also accused Gabam of submitting a financial report to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without authorisation and publishing the same in national newspapers.
The party described this move as “a unilateral action that undermines internal accountability mechanisms.”
In response to the scandal, the party has set up an interim audit panel tasked with scrutinising all financial records and recommending disciplinary or legal actions.
“This move reflects the party’s commitment to internal discipline and its zero-tolerance policy for corruption,” Aiyenigba noted.
In the interim, the party has appointed its Deputy National Chairman (North), Sadiq Abubakar, as Acting National Chairman, in accordance with its constitution.
The funds in question reportedly include proceeds from the sale of nomination forms during the 2023 general elections and other campaign-related donations. Sources within the party estimate the mismanaged sum could run into several hundreds of millions of naira.
The SDP stated that INEC and other relevant law enforcement agencies have been notified of the suspensions, which take immediate effect.
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