The Social Democratic Party has reaffirmed Mr. Shehu Gabam as National Chairman of the party and elected Mr. Abimbola Akeem Atanda as its presidential candidate for the 2027 General election.
The reaffirmation and presidential primary election were conducted during the SDP 2026 National Convention and Presidential Primary held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
At the convention, delegates from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory adopted Mr. Shehu Gabam as National Chairman of the party and elected Mr. Abimbola Akeem Atanda through a voice vote, describing the process as a consensus move aimed at repositioning the party ahead of the 2027 polls.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Atanda pledged to end Nigeria’s “deepening challenges, including insecurity, unemployment, and economic hardship”.
He said that “the country’s vast resources “had not translated into improved living standards,” blaming weak governance and accountability gaps across public institutions.
He called for a political reset anchored on transparency, inclusion, and performance-driven leadership, insisting that the 2027 elections must mark a turning point in restoring public trust in governance.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Shehu Gabam described SDP as “a people-oriented political party, founded on commitment, discipline, inclusiveness and strong democratic ideals aimed at promoting national development and stability.”
Mr. Gabam noted that the party had faced numerous man-made challenges, adding, however, that it remained calm, lawful and focused.
He attributed the restoration of stability to the party to divine intervention.
According to the SDP National Chairman “relevant institutions, including Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary and security agencies, were recently informed about the irregularities affecting the party.”
Gabam said that “the party leaders maintained decorum throughout the crisis to protect the integrity and credibility of the platform they collectively sacrificed years to build nationally.”
According to him, SDP remains one of Nigeria’s most recognised opposition parties because of its consistency, objectivity and commitment to democratic principles over time.
The convention, however, was overshadowed by a major internal purge as the Gabam-led leadership announced the suspension and expulsion of several prominent members accused of anti-party activities and actions deemed contrary to the SDP constitution.
Among those expelled by the convention include: Dr Olu Agunloye, Adewole Adebayo, Dr Sadiq Gombe, Joseph Achile, Mariam Batubo and Sa’adatu Abdullahi.
Others are: Rufus Ayienigba, Mr Abimbola Aderemi, Oguchukwu Uba, Huseesini Bello, Alabi Lekan, Rosemary Effiong and Abubakar Modibo.
One of the Party officials, Judith Shuaibu said the decision followed findings that the individuals undermined party cohesion and discipline at a critical period ahead of the general election.
It was earlier reported that the Professor Gombe-led SDP NWC had held its own national convention in Bauchi on May 9, where Prince Adewole Adebayo was elected as its 2027 Presidential Candidate.
