State Chairmen of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have declared full support for the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, along with two other top officials, saying the move was a necessary step to restore accountability, transparency and internal democracy in the party.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the Forum of SDP State Chairmen debunked reports of a crisis within the party, insisting that the ongoing events reflect a determined effort to cleanse the party of corruption and reinforce its democratic ethos.

“We want to clarify to the public that there is no crisis within the party. The SDP is committed to building a strong internal democracy and presenting ourselves as a credible alternative, hence the need to cleanse ourselves from within lest we be guilty of hypocrisy”, the forum stated in a joint address.

They expressed outrage over the alleged financial misconduct by Gabam, National Auditor Clarkson Nnadi, and National Youth Leader Ogbonna Chukuwma, describing their suspension as long overdue and in line with the wishes of party members at the grassroots.

The forum accused the suspended National Chairman of running the party like a personal fiefdom. “No state chapter has received any funds from the money raised,” they said. “Whenever we inquire about our dues, we encounter threats of removal or suspension. Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop.”

According to them, the suspension process followed due procedure as provided in the party’s constitution. “We call for an immediate investigation into all allegations in a transparent, honest and fair manner,” they said, offering to nominate a state chairman to serve on the Disciplinary Investigation Panel.

They further condemned what they described as the “autocratic leadership style” of Gabam, accusing him of failing to call a single National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting since he assumed office. “More importantly, this message must go to all and sundry: when money is donated or contributed to the party, it is for the development of the party, not for an individual to appropriate as personal resources,” the statement said.

The forum also urged the current acting leadership of the party to convene a NEC meeting immediately and allow the investigative panel a free hand to work.

Calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to meddle in the internal affairs of the party, the state leaders warned against any action that could ferment “the yeast of instability” or advantage the ruling party.

“The public impression that INEC has shown a tendency to dabble into the internal affairs of political parties… should not be extended to the SDP,” they warned.

Insisting that the party must lead by example if it seeks to be the “credible alternative” for Nigerians, the forum stated: “We cannot be a party of embezzlement, fraud, forgeries, graft, grand theft and other criminality whilst still laying claim to being the champion of the masses.”

They emphasized that the internal reforms and disciplinary actions were not about political alignments or 2027 elections, but about ensuring that the party lives up to its founding ideals of integrity, social justice and service.

Adding more context to the development, SDP National Publicity Secretary, Araba  Aiyenigba, described the situation as a “cleansing process” to return the party to its “factory setting” of transparency, credibility and accountability.

Speaking in an interview,  Aiyenigba said: “What we have going on in the SDP is a cleansing process of trying to return the party to its factory setting… the ideology of transparency, accountability and credibility. We have seen a situation in the last two-three years where all of these [values] provided in the constitution were not adhered to.”

He revealed that a six-month investigation into the party’s financial dealings uncovered “mind-boggling infractions.” According to him, funds were being diverted to private accounts without the knowledge or approval of the National Working Committee (NWC).

“We were able to establish humongous funds that were moved out of the party’s account in the last three years going to private accounts and expenditures that were not having NWC clearance. Nothing has gone through the NWC in the last three years.”