SDP crisis worsens as Gabam faction expels Adebayo, names new presidential candidate

A fresh crisis has engulfed the Social Democratic Party after the faction loyal to reinstated National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, expelled 13 top party members, including the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, during a controversial convention in Abuja on Wednesday.

The faction also adopted Lagos businessman, Abimbola Atanda, as the party’s new sole presidential candidate, signalling a deepening battle for control of the SDP ahead of the 2027 elections.

Among those expelled are factional chairman Sadiq Gombe, National Secretary Olu Agunloye and spokesman Rufus Aiyenigba.

The convention dissolved the party’s National Working Committee and re-elected Gabam as national chairman alongside a new leadership team.

Gabam said the party had overcome its internal crisis and emerged “stronger and more viable,” adding that relevant institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, were aware of the dispute.

But the rival Gombe-led faction dismissed the convention as illegal, insisting Gabam no longer had authority to act as chairman.

The latest showdown comes months after rival factions traded expulsions in a fierce struggle over the party’s leadership, with INEC recently recognising Gabam’s camp through a court-backed decision.

kenneth Athekame

Athekame Kenneth is a politics, economy, and finance reporter whose work is anchored in sharp investigative storytelling. He brings analytical depth to every piece, drawing on a strong academic foundation that includes a degree in Economics, an MBA in International Trade, and a minor in Petroleum Economics from Lagos State University, Ojo. His reporting blends rigorous research with a keen eye for hidden truths, delivering stories that illuminate power, policy, and the forces shaping everyday lives.