The internal crisis plaguing the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has taken a new turn, as the Dr. Abubakar Gombe-led National Working Committee (NWC) has disassociated the party from a political summit scheduled for Friday, September 5, 2025, in Owerri, Imo State.
The summit, tagged the “SDP Political Conference Summit”, is being organized by a faction loyal to Adamu Abubakar Modibbo, a group the Gombe-led leadership has branded as illegal.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, SDP National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, described the summit as an “illegality” being orchestrated by dissidents seeking to drag the party into an unofficial alliance with the ADC (African Democratic Congress), a coalition he alleges is being pushed by former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
“The so-called summit is an illegality being committed by a group of dissidents whose overarching objective is to deceive our members and lure them into the ADC coalition,” Aiyenigba stated.
“Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, who is behind this, is no longer a member of the SDP and cannot speak or act on behalf of the party.”
The Gombe-led NWC reminded the public that on July 28, 2025, El-Rufai, Modibbo, and seven others were expelled from the party for a period of 30 years and are currently facing legal action over actions considered harmful to the party’s interests.
“Members of the SDP, particularly in Imo State, the South-East, and the general public, are advised to disregard the scheduled ‘SDP Political Conference Summit’ as it has no connection to our party,” the statement added.
“The SDP is not part of any ADC coalition and remains committed to its founding ideology and core manifesto.”
The summit controversy stems from a broader leadership crisis that began in June 2025, when then National Chairman Alhaji Shehu Gabam was suspended over allegations of financial misconduct, alongside two NWC members accused of unauthorized transactions and misappropriation of party funds.
In the aftermath, a factional group led by Adamu Modibbo emerged from an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on July 25, with claims of support from 23 state chairmen.
Modibbo was declared Acting National Chairman and immediately initiated sweeping reforms, including the dissolution of standing committees.
However, the Abubakar-led NWC rejected the NEC meeting as unconstitutional, with SDP National Secretary Dr. Olu Agunloye describing the gathering as “irregular and not sanctioned.”
Despite Modibbo’s calls for unity and reconciliation, the Gombe-led faction maintains it remains the legitimate leadership of the party.
The SDP leadership under Dr. Gombe insists it is focused on restoring internal order and rebuilding party structures across the state and national levels.
“We remain the authentic leadership and are committed to presenting the SDP as a strong, credible alternative in Nigeria’s political landscape,” the statement concluded.
