The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has been plunged into a major leadership crisis following conflicting statements about the appointment of three new members to its National Working Committee (NWC).

Last week, the party's National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, announced that Senator Ugochukwu Ubah, Alhaji Shehu Musa, and Bello Ado Hussain had been appointed to fill vacant positions of Deputy National Chairman (South), Deputy National Chairman (North), and National Financial Secretary respectively.

However, in a surprising turn of events, the party's National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, issued a statement on Monday denying that such appointments had been made. Speaking through the party's Deputy National Secretary, Muhammad Biu, Gabam described the reports as "false, unauthorized, and not reflecting the decisions or procedures of the SDP's NWC."

Adding to the confusion, the party's National Secretary, Olu Agunloye, contradicted Gabam's position, confirming that the appointments were indeed made during an NWC meeting attended by 11 out of 12 members. According to Agunloye, eight members voted in favor of the appointments while three, including Gabam, opposed.

Agunloye has alleged that Gabam and two other NWC members, in collaboration with former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai who recently defected to the SDP from the All Progressives Congress (APC), are behind the crisis. He claimed they are attempting to "lord their selfish interest" over the majority of NWC members.

"There were 12 NWC members in total but one was absent. Eight out of 11 NWC members present at the meeting voted in favour of the appointments. Gabam and two others who lost out are throwing tantrums together with Nasir El-rufai who amounts to nothing at his ward," Agunloye stated.

In his capacity as National Secretary, Agunloye has formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about the appointments in a letter dated May 16, 2025.

This internal conflict threatens to tarnish the SDP's reputation as what was previously considered the only opposition party free from internal strife. Political analysts now suggest the party may be following the path of other opposition parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), which have been embroiled in leadership crises since the 2023 general elections.

The timing of this crisis is particularly significant as it comes shortly after El-Rufai's entrance into the party, raising questions about his influence and the party's stability ahead of the 2027 general elections.