A coalition of Nigerian civil society leaders under the banner of the Movement for Credible Elections has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of interfering in the internal affairs of opposition parties, raising concerns over what it described as the “imposition” of a disputed chairman on the Social Democratic Party.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the group said it was “seriously perturbed” by what it called INEC’s recognition of Shehu Gabam as SDP national chairman despite his alleged suspension and dismissal by the party’s National Executive Committee.
The coalition alleged that Gabam, who it said had been investigated and removed over allegations of financial mismanagement and abuse of trust, was recently re-listed as SDP national chairman on INEC’s online portal without any public explanation or court order.
According to the group, following Gabam’s removal, the party appointed Sadiq Abubakar Gombe as acting national chairman, a position it said had previously been recognised by INEC.
The coalition said repeated attempts by the party to seek clarification from INEC had yielded no formal response.
It said the only explanation suggested by the electoral commission was a court judgment delivered by Justice Wike in a case involving the party’s governorship primary dispute in Ekiti State.
However, the group argued that Gabam was not a party to the suit and that his name was not mentioned in the appellate judgment, making his reappearance on INEC’s platform “legally questionable.”
The statement also alleged that Gabam, accompanied by Hamza Al-Mustapha and security personnel, forcefully entered the SDP national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday and took control of the premises.
The coalition described the incident as a disturbing display of force reminiscent of Nigeria’s military era, alleging that members of the party’s National Working Committee were forced out of the secretariat.
“These developments raise legitimate concerns about the neutrality of state institutions and risk undermining confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections,” the group said.
The coalition called on INEC to publicly clarify the legal and procedural basis for its actions and urged the judiciary, civil society groups, the media, and international democratic observers to closely monitor developments.
It warned that any perceived interference in opposition party affairs could erode public trust in Nigeria’s electoral institutions and weaken democratic fairness.
INEC had not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
