State Chairmen of the Social Democratic Party have thrown their weight behind the suspension of the National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, and two other members of the National Working Committee, NWC over alleged grave allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of party funds.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the chairman of the forum who is also the chairman of Lagos State Chapter, Femi Olaniyi, said that the suspended officials should allow for a thorough investigation into allegations brought against them by the NWC.
Flanked at the briefing by twenty-two other state chairmen, Olaniyi, who stressed that the fight against corruption must be genuine and open, as these are very vital in the SDP, said that the party is very open to a coalition that will liberate Nigeria.
He assured all the members of the SDP nationwide and all Nigerians that the leadership cleansing in the SDP is not about power play or 2027 or Coalition or APC, PDP or other conspiracy theories but about doing the right thing in the party.
Recall that the NWC of SDzp had on Tuesday suspended its National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, over alleged grave allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of party funds.
The SDP had also suspended two members of the NWC, namely Nze Nnadi Clarkson, National Auditor, and Uchechukwu Chukwuma, National Youth Leader, over same offence.
According to a statement on Tuesday 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.
The statement was titled “The National Working Committee of the SDP Suspends Alhaji Shehu Gabam as National Chairman and Two Members of NWC Over Allegations of Gross Financial Misconduct”.
The statement read, “In exercise of its exclusive powers as guaranteed in Articles 19.1, 19.3(i) and 19.5 of the Party Constitution (2022 as amended), the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has approved the immediate suspension of the National Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, along with two members of the National Working Committee (NWC), namely, Nze Nnadi Clarkson, National Auditor, and Uchechukwu Chukwuma, National Youth Leader, over grave allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of party funds.
“The decision followed a resolution of a meeting of the National Working Committee (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.
Details later…