The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has suspended its National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, over allegations of financial misconduct and unauthorised handling of party funds.
In a statement released on Tuesday, June 19, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba, accused Gabam of engaging in several questionable financial transactions without the approval of the party’s leadership.
According to the statement, “The suspended officials were linked to a series of unauthorised financial transactions, personal enrichment schemes, and diversion of funds without NWC approval.”
The party also suspended its National Auditor, Nnadi Clarkson, and National Youth Leader, Chukwuma Uchechukwu, over their alleged roles in the financial irregularities.
Aiyenigba said the party was particularly alarmed by Gabam’s decision to submit a financial report to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without authorisation and to publish a summary of the same report in the media.
READ ALSO: Kaduna SDP Disowns El-Rufai, Denies His Membership Claims
“This action reinforces our zero-tolerance stance on corruption,” he added.
To get to the root of the matter, the SDP said it had set up an interim panel to thoroughly audit its financial records and recommend disciplinary or legal actions based on its findings.
The party has appointed its Deputy National Chairman (North), Sadiq Abubakar, as the Acting National Chairman while investigations continue.
According to the statement, the amount of money allegedly mismanaged runs into hundreds of millions of naira, including revenues from the sale of nomination forms and various donations collected during the 2023 general elections.
The party confirmed that INEC and other relevant authorities have been notified of the suspensions, which it said take effect immediately.