Ahead of the 2027 g3neral elections, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Sadiq Umar Gombe, has formally took over the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
This came barely a week, on 17 June this year, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) updated its records to recognise Gombe as the substantive SDP national chairman, replacing the expelled former national chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam.
During the formal reclaiming of the party’s national secretariat on Monday, Prof. Gombe said that the development signalled an end to the protracted leadership crisis that has rocked the party after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) under his leadership.
He described the resumption as a milestone after a one-year leadership crisis that began on June 24, 2025, when the NWC suspended some erring members in line with the party’s constitution.
Gombe told reporters that the takeover marked the culmination of nearly a year of internal reforms, disciplinary proceedings and legal battles that eventually received judicial validation at the Supreme Court.
“Today is a great day for all of us. It is significant because it comes almost exactly one year after the National Working Committee, acting within the powers granted to it by the party’s constitution, took disciplinary action against some erring members.
“It is only due process that brought us to where we are today. We remained patient, committed and followed the law diligently. That is why we are here,” Gombe said.
According to him, the disciplinary measures against some erring members followed investigations conducted by a committee established by the NWC, whose recommendations were subsequently reviewed by a White Paper Committee before sanctions were imposed in line with the party’s constitution.
He stressed that all affected members were accorded fair hearing throughout the process, and the party remained committed to due process at every stage.
Gombe also said that the Supreme Court had consistently upheld the principle that the internal affairs of political parties are matters to be determined by the parties themselves, without external interference.
He said that a Supreme Court judgment delivered on December 19, 2025, in a dispute involving the party’s Ekiti State governorship candidate reinforced that position.
He said, “The Supreme Court ruled that all decisions taken by the party are binding on members and that internal affairs of political parties are matters for the parties themselves to determine.”
The SDP national chairman, however, extended an olive branch to aggrieved members, saying the party remained open to reconciliation despite the bitter leadership dispute.
Gombe said, “As parents forgive their children when they err, the party remains open to members who may have offended it, provided they are willing to retrace their steps and work for the collective interest of the SDP and Nigeria.
“We have no other country except Nigeria. The responsibility of rebuilding it belongs to all of us. With commitment, diligence and the fear of God, Nigeria can take its rightful place in Africa and the Black world.”
He assured Nigerians that the party would continue to position itself as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 elections by presenting candidates capable of addressing challenges in education, healthcare, infrastructure, food security and governance.
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