Another faction of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), at the weekend expelled its former presidential candidate, Prince Adewale Adebayo and several others over alleged anti-party activities.

The party also accused the National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye, of gross misconduct, contempt of court and attempts to destabilise the party through misinformation and abuse of institutions.

Briefing reporters in Abuja at the weekend, the National Publicity Secretary of the party’s faction, Ambassador Judith Shua’ibu, informed the decision followed exhaustive deliberations during an emergency session of the National Working Committee (NWC) on October 24.

Shua’ibu explained the meeting was convened to address “press issues affecting the peace, progress, and institutional integrity of the party” and to reaffirm the SDP’s commitment to transparency, unity, and internal democracy.

She said the conduct of Agunloye, a former national officer of the party, had become a source of concern, accusing him of acting “far outside the bounds of law, fairness, and party discipline.”

According to her, rather than work with party leadership to resolve differences, Agunloye allegedly resorted to filing petitions with the Police Force, making spurious claims against national officials, and misleading security agencies with false information.

She alleged that the former official had gone as far as accusing party leaders of theft and burglary at the SDP’s national secretariat, even though the property was open and accessible to party members.

Shua’ibu said: “Instead of cooperating with law enforcement in good faith, Dr Agunloye has been feeding the Nigerian Police with misleading information and using police personnel to block access to the national secretariat, preventing law-abiding members and executives from accessing their own offices”.

The party described these actions as an abuse of privilege and a direct assault on both the SDP’s internal integrity and the credibility of state institutions.

She further accused Agunloye of disregarding judicial processes, noting that he had continued to make pronouncements and take actions while matters involving him remained before competent courts.

According to her: “One must then ask: is Dr Agunloye afraid of the outcomes of the very cases he instigated, or is he simply seeking to impose malicious dictates on our party through perceived external backing?”

Beyond the internal wrangling, the SDP leadership expressed concerns over what it called “reckless and dangerous ethnic narratives” being circulated by some disgruntled elements within the party.

It alleged that such individuals were exploiting ethnic sentiments and spreading misinformation about the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in an attempt to delegitimize national institutions.

According to her: “These individuals have even made allusions suggesting that they are awaiting the replacement of the INEC Chairman to advance their private and ethnic agendas,” Shua’ibu said, describing the move as both mischievous and harmful to Nigeria’s democracy.

She stated that the NWC, invoking the relevant provisions of the SDP Constitution, had no choice but to expel Adebayo and other members found guilty of gross misconduct, anti-party activities, and acts calculated to plunge the party into crisis.

It emphasised that their actions violated the ethos and collective will of the Social Democratic Party and were inconsistent with its commitment to democratic order. (The Nation)