A violent clash broke out at the Social Democratic Party (SDP) national secretariat in Abuja yesterday, as supporters of National Chairman Shehu Gabam and those loyal to the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, engaged in a chaotic brawl.
The confrontation, which began at around 11:20 a.m. during a meeting of the SDP National Working Committee (NWC) at the party’s headquarters on 16 Nairobi Street, quickly escalated into a full-scale free-for-all. The party’s main gate was pulled down amid the chaos.
The fracas left several individuals injured, with security personnel and suspected thugs allegedly enlisted to back Gabam’s faction overpowering members loyal to Adebayo and National Publicity Secretary Rufus Aiyenigba.
Journalists covering the meeting were also targeted. An Arise TV cameraman had his equipment seized temporarily, while Punch reporter Francis Adebayo was manhandled and had his clothes torn after refusing to surrender the phone he used to record the incident.
Police from Wuse Division and the Federal Capital Territory Command later arrived to restore order, urging participants to disperse. However, some thugs resisted, claiming party membership.
A private security officer at the scene, speaking anonymously, said the violence erupted after gatekeepers were locked out, preventing Gabam loyalists from entering the meeting venue, which led to the gate being torn down.
In the wake of the crisis, the SDP National Working Committee has suspended National Chairman Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam over allegations of gross financial misconduct, including embezzlement and misappropriation of party funds. Two other NWC members — National Auditor Nze Nnadi Clarkson and National Youth Leader Uchechukwu Chukwuma — were also suspended on similar grounds.
National Publicity Secretary Rufus Aiyenigba confirmed the suspensions in a statement, noting they followed an NWC meeting where substantial evidence was presented linking the officials to unauthorized financial transactions.
