The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, (SDP), Shehu Gabam has defended the internal challenges facing the party, saying disagreements and crises are common in every major political organisation.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Gabam argued that political crises do not always weaken parties, but can also help strengthen their structures and reveal the true interests of politicians involved.
“There’s no party that is perfect in terms of administration. Every party that is a force to be reckoned with has its own internal wrangles. But these internal wrangles have not started in terms of strengthening the party; crisis strengthens political parties. It also defines individual behaviors or roles in determining how strong the parties can be,” he stated.
Addressing concerns over lingering divisions within the SDP, Gabam admitted that dissatisfaction is inevitable in politics but maintained that the majority of SDP members are focused on moving the party forward ahead of key electoral activities.
“I said there are inevitables in all political parties. There are people that are perpetually unsatisfied for one reason or the other, but I believe the majority of us are ready to move on, move the party on,” he insisted.
Gabam also dismissed claims by former SDP National Chairman, Shehu Umar Abubakar, that there was no court order recognising his leadership.
“If you read the judgment, you’ll know that is not correct. The judgment mentions his name specifically, the purported so-called Shehu. The Justice Nwite judgment was set aside for lack of jurisdiction and perverseness. So whatever decision or action or letters signed by Shehu is null and void by implication. That’s what it is; the law has never recognized him,” he said.
The SDP chairman further defended the judiciary, describing the appellate court judgment as thorough and detailed. While acknowledging public criticism of the courts, Gabam said the ruling demonstrated that the judiciary still deserved credit in certain cases.
“If you go to the judgment page by page, you will really do justice for the judiciary. Even though people are saying the judiciary is not doing the right thing, at some certain time you will give them credit because the judgment is very thorough.”
Speaking further, Gabam said INEC’s decision to recognise his leadership was based on the Court of Appeal ruling that overturned Justice Nwite’s judgment for lack of jurisdiction.
“Absolutely, because the basis to which the legal department issued a legal opinion was on the basis of Justice Nwite, which was set aside completely,” he noted.
Gabam added that politicians have a responsibility to reduce bitterness in the political space and work towards sustaining a stable democracy, warning that the country’s political system could suffer if tensions are allowed to escalate unchecked.
“It’s our responsibility as politicians sometimes to eschew some of this bitterness and make sure we have a stable democracy. Otherwise, the body politic will pay for it,” he said.
Speaking on the SDP’s position ahead of the 2027 elections, Gabam admitted that the party’s internal crisis had affected its strength and organisational capacity.
“The crisis affected the party’s strength and capacity. That’s why we are condensing the program to ensure that we meet up with the demand and the requirement that is needed at this critical time,” he admitted.
He, however, noted that the challenges were not unique to the SDP, arguing that amendments to the Electoral Act have placed pressure on all political parties, including the ruling party.
” But it’s not just SDP, like I said, the Electoral Act, as amended, has affected all parties, including the ruling party,” he said.
Adding, Gabam said that politicians must rise above emotions, insinuations and political tensions to avoid undermining the country’s democratic process.
“Everybody must be up and doing to meet up with the entire challenge that is facing our democratic space. So many insinuations are going on, so many emotions and sentiments are moving on. But we have to deal with this as politicians; otherwise, it would be a great disservice to the country.”
On reports linking the SDP to recent coalition talks among opposition figures, the SDP National Chairman denied that the party officially participated in the meeting, insisting that no one was authorised to represent the SDP. He maintained that the party was not part of the coalition gathering and dismissed suggestions that it had formally aligned itself with any opposition bloc ahead of 2027.
“We have not attended any coalition. We have not authorized anybody to represent us. No, there was no SDP there,” he maintained.
Gabam said the SDP has continued to operate independently despite political pressures. However, he left the door open for future alliances, noting that the party could consider partnerships if they become necessary.
“We’ve been standing alone; we’ve been facing the consequences. If you don’t stand alone, it means you have no capacity to drive the system. If you always key in, then you will have issues to deal with. SDP is going to stand on its own when it is necessary. Looking at the political situation and the futuristic of the country, if there’s a need for us to do an alliance, we’ll do it; there’s no doubt about that.”
Dismissing suggestions that divisions within the SDP may have led to unofficial participation in coalition talks, insisting he did not see anyone representing the party at the meeting in Oyo State. According to him, internal disputes are common in political parties and should not be treated as unusual developments within the democratic process.
“We were not part of it; there was no discussion that I know in terms of being part of it. A dispute is normal; is there any party that doesn’t have a dispute?,” he quizzed.
Recalling the formation of the APC through a coalition process, Gabam noted that political realities and changing dynamics often force parties to reconsider their positions. He added that no political option should ever be ruled out completely, as circumstances can change over time.
“Before the APC, there was a discussion that led to the APC. We were part of the discussions; we offered very strong advice, and some of them were not adhered to, which led to the situation that we have today. So, like I’m saying, there’s nothing new; politicians sometimes must concede to reality because the dynamic changes. And if you don’t consider dynamics, there’s nothing you can do; you must face what you don’t want to face. If it is futuristic for the nation, if it is positive for the nation for the alliance to work, it will work—provided there’s no greed, there’s no selfcenteredness in the entire process, and there’s no packaging to eliminate certain people. There’s nothing that can stop it from working; APC was a product of an alliance.”
Responding to claims that he may eventually align with President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party, Gabam rejected suggestions that he was pro-establishment.
“I don’t know the opponents; first, I’m not a pro-establishment person,” he stressed.
Speaking on the need to stabilise the SDP after its recent internal crisis, Gabam said reconciliation efforts are ongoing and aimed at bringing members back into a unified structure.
“We are reaching out; we are trying to reconcile. I’m not guaranteeing 100%; no party can guarantee 100%, but the majority of us are on the same page. The primary interest is to build the party beyond whatever flimsy interest people are talking about. That is the cardinal objective: to ensure that we are together, we consolidated with the forces that are ready to work so that we can meet up with the challenge.”
Favour Odima
Follow us on:
