The Forum of Social Democratic Party (SDP) State Chairmen has expressed support for the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Shehu Gabam and two other national officers.
By Emmanuel Oloniruha
The Forum of Social Democratic Party (SDP) State Chairmen has expressed support for the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Shehu Gabam and two other national officers.
The forum, at a news conference addressed on Friday in Abuja by its Chairman, Femi Ferrari, said that the suspension followed due process.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the SDP National Working Committee (NWC) had on Tuesday announced the suspension of Gabam as the national chairman, Nze Clarkson as National Auditor and Uchechukwu Chukwuma as National Youth Leader.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, had, in a statement in Abuja, stated that Gabam and others were suspended over allegations of gross financial misconduct, including funds generated from the 2023 general elections.
Aiyenigba said that the suspension was approved by the NWC, in exercise of its exclusive powers as guaranteed in Article 19.1; 19.3(i) and 19.5 of the party’s Constitution (2022 as amended).
Ferrari, after a meeting attended by 22 members of the forum, said that the suspension was part of the process to sanitise the party of corruption.
Ferrari said that the forum had expressed concerns about the suspended national chairman’s unilateral and autocratic leadership style, particularly in his interactions with the state chairmen and members of the NWC.
He alleged that since Gabam became the party’s national chairman, he had refused to call for National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting or remit money meant for the state chapters.
“It is important to note that all actions taken have been initiated by the state chapters. Our situation can be summarised by the phrase, “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop.
“This forum has repeatedly requested that the national chairman remit the state’s allocated percentage, as outlined in the constitution, but he has consistently ignored these requests.
“No state chapter has received any fund from the money raised, and whenever we inquire about our dues, we encounter threats of removal or suspension,’’ he said.
Ferrari called for an immediate investigation into all allegations against Gabam in a transparent, honest and fair manner.
“To this end, the forum has offered to nominate a member of the Disciplinary Investigation Panel who shall be a state chairman,’’ he said.
Ferrari urged the party leadership to allow the disciplinary committee or investigation panel free hand to do a truly honest, open, fair and legally just investigation without any political or other motivation or interference.