Modibo Emerges New Chairman At Disputed NEC Meeting

Chairman of the Forum of State Chairmen of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Femi Olaniyi Ferrari, has dissociated his members from what he called a fake meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja on Friday, accusing the former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, of masterminding the gathering.
 
Noting that the meeting took place without the knowledge of the Chairmen’s Forum or the summons of the SDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), he accused El-Rufai of plotting to destabilise the party, stressing that members of the Forum who attended the meeting were misled and lured by El-Rufai.
 
This came as the warring factions of the party led by Alhaji Shehu Gabam and Dr. Olu Agunloye were dissolved at the disputed emergency NEC meeting to pave the way for a new NWC under the leadership of Adamu Modibo.
 
In a statement on Friday, Ferrari dissociated his members from the meeting, describing it as reckless, unconstitutional, and lacking authority, quorum, and legality. He maintained that El-Rufai was no longer a member of the party as he had been suspended by the Kaduna State chapter of the party over false membership claims.
 
Part of the statement read: “Today, July 25, the Forum of SDP State Chairmen learned that a meeting, misleadingly referred to as a NEC meeting, took place in Abuja without the knowledge of the Chairmen’s Forum or the summons of the SDP’s National Working Committee (NWC).
 
“As a result, the Forum entirely distances itself from this reckless, unconstitutional, and invalid meeting, which lacked authority, quorum, and legality.
 
“We know that a few of our chairmen who attended the meeting were misled and lured there by the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, who appears desperate to destabilise the party for reasons known only to him.
 
“Coincidentally, El-Rufai has been disavowed by the SDP in his home state of Kaduna due to false membership claims.
 
“His actions have caused chaos and mischief, and he has engaged in anti-party activities, despite falsely claiming to be a party member without any official record, apart from social media posts and photographs with SDP figures.”
 
Ferrari noted that the Forum was in support of the NWC’s leadership under Shehu Musa Gabam as national chairman and Dr. Olu Agunloye as national secretary.
 
The statement added: “The Forum firmly supports the leadership of the National Working Committee, duly elected at the June 2022 National Convention.
 
“The committee appointed Shehu Musa Gabam as National Chairman and Dr. Olu Agunloye as National Secretary. We pledge our unwavering support to the authority of that lawful NWC, currently led by acting National Chairman, Dr. Sadiq Abubakar Umar.
 
“We kindly request that the NWC exercises fairness and natural justice towards our members who unwittingly attended the fake meeting. Justice must be tempered with mercy so that the innocent are not punished alongside the guilty.”
 
Meanwhile, following his emergence as Acting National Chairman, Modibo has vowed to steer the party out of its current crisis and reunite its rank and file.
 
“It is a great challenge, and we are ready for it,” Modibo said. “As you are aware, the party is in crisis. We are going to do our best to unite this party. All actions instituted by the former NWC members of both factions are hereby stepped aside.
 
“We are drawing a line. We will constitute a new disciplinary committee and a reconciliation committee to explore the possibility of reconciling the warring factions and taking disciplinary action where necessary. All standing committees are hereby dissolved pending the formation of new ones.”
  
Also speaking at the meeting, Deputy National Secretary, Ibrahim Mohammed Biu, who was elected Financial Secretary in the new NWC, explained how the crisis escalated.
 
He said: “In the last couple of months, our party has unfortunately been engulfed in a leadership crisis. A group loyal to the national secretary suspended the national chairman over allegations of misappropriation and fraud. The national chairman denied these allegations and dismissed appointments made by the secretary’s faction as illegal, leading to clashes at the national secretariat.
 
“These developments led to intervention by security agencies and a series of counter-allegations. Efforts by the NEC to reconcile both groups proved abortive and have now led to disillusionment among our teeming supporters.”
 
Biu noted that the party had gained considerable momentum over the past year, attracting senators, former governors, and members of the National Assembly.
 
“This crisis, however, has put all that progress at risk. We could not stand by and watch years of hard work unravel. That’s why the NEC decided to act,” he noted.