Adebayo Raises Alarm After Security Operatives Storm SDP Secretariat

Tension erupted at the national secretariat of the Social Democratic Party in Abuja on Thursday after security operatives stormed the party headquarters shortly following the presidential screening of former SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo.

Adebayo alleged that the action was part of a coordinated attempt to disrupt the SDP’s presidential nomination process ahead of the 2027 general election. According to him, the move was orchestrated to frustrate his ambition of emerging as the party’s candidate. Speaking after the incident, Adebayo accused President Bola Tinubu of attempting to impose what he described as “one-man rule” on the country.

“President Tinubu the autocrat has sent his goons to invade the SDP National Secretariat a day after I completed my presidential primary election screening,” Adebayo said. “Tinubu wants one-man rule in Nigeria. We will defeat him. It is cowardly and not presidential for the president to be afraid of competition.”

The SDP chieftain specifically named James Faleke and Joash Amupitan as part of those he claimed had perfected plans to destabilize the party’s internal process and prevent his emergence as the SDP standard-bearer. Sources within the party disclosed that Adebayo had visited the secretariat for his nomination screening before policemen reportedly swooped on the premises, creating panic among party officials and supporters.

Meanwhile, the SDP leadership accused security operatives of interfering in the party’s internal affairs. National Chairman, Professor Sadiq Gombe, alleged that police officers escorted the factional former National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, to the party headquarters in an attempt to forcefully take over the secretariat ahead of the party’s scheduled national convention. “Suddenly, they escorted Gabam like a president with a retinue of police officers headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police to come and take over the party secretariat,” Gombe alleged. “They told our officials they came because there was a breakdown of law and order and ordered everybody to leave.”

Despite the mounting tension, the SDP reaffirmed that its national convention would proceed in Bauchi as scheduled, following the approval of an alternative venue after earlier locations were allegedly blocked. Gombe urged members to remain calm and focused, describing the convention as a defining moment for the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. “We are not deterred. We are going ahead with our convention. Nigerians should know that nobody will intimidate us in our own country,” he declared.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official reaction from the Presidency, the Nigeria Police Force, or the individuals named in the allegations by Adebayo.