*** Gives Committee 14 days to carry out a holistic investigation into the allegations

By Henry Umoru, ABUJA

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has begun a probe into alleged gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of party funds put at over N1 billion naira by its suspended National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, and two others.

Consequently, the NWC on Friday inaugurated a five-man committee to, in the next fourteen days, carry out a holistic investigation into the raised allegations against Gabam and two other members of the NWC, namely, Nze Nnadi Clarkson, National Auditor, and Uchechukwu Chukwuma, National Youth Leader.

The Investigative Committee has been asked to invite the suspended chairman, the national auditor, and the youth leader.

Recall that the NWC of the SDP had on 24th June suspended Gabam over alleged grave allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of party funds, just as the party also suspended two members of the NWC, namely Nze Nnadi Clarkson, National Auditor, and Uchechukwu Chukwuma, National Youth Leader, over the same offence.

According to a statement by SDP National Publicity Secretary Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the decision followed a resolution of a meeting of the NWC, where overwhelming evidence was presented linking the suspended officials to a series of unauthorised financial transactions, personal enrichment schemes, and movement of funds from the party’s accounts without necessary approvals of the NWC.

But addressing journalists on Friday in Abuja on the inauguration, the SDP Acting National Chairman, Dr. Sadiq Abubakar, said, “This committee has been tasked with a crucial assignment: purifying and repositioning our party to effectively play its rightful role in the near future and beyond.

“You have been carefully selected based on your proven expertise, impeccable track records, and unwavering integrity. We therefore urge you to carry out this responsibility with the utmost sense of duty, transparency, and fairness without fear or favour.

“The Committee must show decorum, dignity, and decency to the persons who appear before it and to one another. It is paramount to begin on the constitutional presumption that those accused of any wrongdoing before you are innocent at the outset until the contrary is proved. Let the law, good conscience, and equity be your guiding principles, not political considerations. Let the truth be your anchor. Obey the rule of law and observe natural justice, which essentially means that no one can be a judge in its own case, and you must hear both sides thoroughly before coming to a finding.

“In discharging your duties, we implore you to be just and impartial. Let your findings speak for themselves. If an issue is white, say it is white; if black, say it is black. Report everything truthfully and objectively. Always remember that your actions are accountable not only to the party and the public but ultimately to Almighty Allah, before whom we shall all give account on the Day of Judgement.”

Inaugurating the five-man committee led by Liman Abubakar, National Secretary of the party, Dr. Olu Agunloye, who alleged that over 1 billion naira was misappropriated by the party chairman, charged the committee to be fair and transparent in unravelling the truth, saying, “In the first week of June 2025, there was a surprising discovery of the financial reports submitted by the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. There were several abnormalities associated with this action of the National Chairman.

“The National Working Committee (NWC) thereafter decided through a signed resolution to look further into the abnormalities and report criminal infractions associated with these discoveries to the law enforcement agencies.

Further inspection into the malfeasance led to the discovery of the :Management Control Report” by Messrs. T. O. Thomas and Company, the external auditor seconded to the Social Democratic Party by the Chairman of INEC.

“Financial Statement of SDP” by the same Messrs. T.O. Thomas and Co. Bank statements from First Bank of Nigeria and Zenith Bank PLC

“The discoveries and evidence established a prima facie case for criminal conspiracy, fraud, and theft against three members of the Social Democratic Party listed below:

Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, National Chairman, hereinafter referred to as Officer-1 Mr. Clarkson, National Auditor, hereinafter referred to as Officer-2 Mr. Ogbonna Uchechukwu, National Youth Leader, hereinafter referred to as Officer-3.

“Observations that led to establishing a prima facie case are multiple breaches of the SDP 2022 Constitution as amended, especially Articles 13, 17, and 19.

“There were no presentations or submissions of any incomes or expenditures to NWC from 2022 to 2025, and only 3 members out of 12 NWC members were aware of any details of the accounts of SDP. Only Officer-1, Officer-2, and Officer-3 were aware of the incomes and expenditures of the Social Democratic Party.

“There were no due processes or internal audit procedures followed in disbursing hundreds of millions of Naira of SDP funds. There were no approvals whatsoever sought from or given by the NWC as required by the Party’s Constitution.

There were hundreds of multiple withdrawals by Officer-3, who used multiple variations of his names to transfer several hundreds of millions of Naira of SDP funds into multiple bank accounts operated by him.”

“It is noted that Officer-3 is neither the cashier of SDP nor a contractor of SDP nor affiliated, in any form, to the Directorates of Treasury or Finance or Administration of the Social Democratic Party. Officer-1 singlehandedly determined what to purchase and approve for withdrawal from SDP accounts and directed the withdrawals without any approvals or authorisation or due process.

Officer-2 enabled all the illegal and unauthorised payments by compromising all the internal audit routines and control procedures specified by the Constitution of the Party.

Officer-1 prepared financial reports of SDP unknown to the National Working Committee (NWC) and forwarded the same to the INEC Chairman without the knowledge of the NWC, including the National Secretary, who was expected to co-sign such a forwarding letter. Officer-1, Officer-2, and Officer-3 acted in tandem, presided over by Officer-1, to carry out gross misappropriation and diversions of SDP funds estimated at over N1.0 billion.

“Thereafter, NWC formally reported to the Law Enforcement Agencies and determined through resolutions signed by 11 out of 15 NWC members to carry out internal disciplinary actions and to suspend Officer-1, Officer-2, and Officer-3 to pave the way for an unfettered internal investigation into the breaches of the Constitution of the party and the criminal investigations by the Law Enforcement Agencies into any breaches of the penal codes of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Accordingly, appropriate letters of suspension of the three officers were served on them, and due notifications were made to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

And in compliance with the directives of the National Working Committee, the Disciplinary Committee, with the composition stated below, is hereby inaugurated to investigate in depth and report back to NWC within 14 days. The composition of the committee is listed below:

Mr. Liman S. Abubakar, National Chieftain of SDP—Chairman; Pharm. Wafari Theman, National Vice Chairman (North East)—Member; Dr. Kingsley Obinna Agbo, Ebonyi State Chairman, Member; Hajiya Laila Mohammed, National Chieftain of SDP, Member; and Barrister Williams Adelewa, Zonal Chieftain of SDP, Secretary.

“The Terms of Reference of the Committee are highlighted below: Fact-finding the truth regarding the allegations of breaches of the SDP Constitution, Examine the state of the accounts of the SDP. Determine the circumstances surrounding the production and submission of audited accounts submitted to INEC in the name of the SDP.

Recommend appropriate remedies. Generally, advise on better ways to manage the finances of the SDP to prevent abuse and breach of the SDP Constitution.”

ENDS