The leadership crisis within the Social Democratic Party (SDP) escalated on Tuesday as the Wuse Zone 2 Magistrate Court in Abuja arraigned former National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, on allegations of financial misappropriation and related offences.
Gabam, alongside Chukwuma Uchechukwu, was docked on a six-count charge involving alleged diversion of over ₦35 million belonging to the party, forgery, and breach of trust. He pleaded not guilty before Chief Magistrate Amauche Onyedium, who granted him bail in the sum of ₦3 million with two sureties resident in Abuja.
The arraignment comes amid a deepening leadership tussle in the SDP, following the election of Sadiq Abubakar Gombe as substantive national chairman at the party’s Bauchi convention on May 9, 2026. Abubakar described Gabam’s prosecution as part of efforts to “sanitise” the party and restore integrity, alleging financial misconduct during Gabam’s tenure.
The crisis has recently turned violent, with suspected thugs reportedly loyal to Gabam vandalising the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. Observers warn that the internal wrangling threatens the stability of the SDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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