Hon. Femi Olaniyi (Ferrari), Lagos State SDP Chairman and national Chairman of SDP State Chairmen, has accused former party chairman Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam of betraying the Social Democratic Party and undermining its 2023 presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo.
Speaking in Abuja after presenting an Award of Excellence to Queen Lilian Adebayo, wife of the 2023 SDP presidential candidate, Olaniyi said the honour was in recognition of her consistent support to the Forum of State Chairmen and her role in keeping the party united during challenging times.
“The award is one of excellence presented to our Queen Mother. She has always been very supportive of the Forum of State Chairmen. Whenever we need assistance, advice, or encouragement, she is always there for us,” he said.
Olaniyi explained that the forum also used the visit to encourage Queen Lilian to urge her husband not to relent in his efforts to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We have pledged our full support for him if he decides to contest again in 2027 under the SDP platform,” he added.
The SDP chieftain alleged that the former national chairman worked against the party’s interest during the 2023 election, issuing instructions to state chairmen not to support the SDP presidential candidate.
“Our former national chairman, who has since been expelled, called all the state chairmen and instructed them not to support our own presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo,” Olaniyi revealed.
“As a result, most of the party’s state structures did not work for him. It was only later that we discovered Gabam had allegedly collected something from the ruling party, which influenced his actions.”
He said the betrayal left the party divided and weakened, but noted that after the elections, the leadership and members reconciled with Prince Adebayo to rebuild the party.
“About a year after the election, we came together to apologize to Prince Adebayo and explain what happened. Through the National Working Committee (NWC), the rebuilding process has started, and we are already seeing positive changes,” he said.
Responding to claims that Gabam had participated in Adebayo’s campaigns across the country, particularly in Kano, Jigawa, and Plateau States, Olaniyi dismissed such suggestions as misleading.
“If you say he campaigned for a week or two after Prince Adebayo’s emergence, maybe that’s true,” he said. “But beyond that, he was no longer active. He only attended some public functions as the then-party chairman — those weren’t actual campaign rallies.”
According to Olaniyi, the fallout between Gabam and Adebayo began when Gabam allegedly sought to control the presidential campaign council — a move Adebayo rejected.
“Prince Adebayo told them clearly that he preferred to reach out directly to state structures. That was where their misunderstanding started,” he explained.
Olaniyi reaffirmed the commitment of the Forum of State Chairmen to rally behind Prince Adebayo as the SDP prepares for the 2027 general elections.
“We have reconciled and are determined to fortify the party. The cleansing process has begun, and the SDP will be stronger and more united going into 2027,” he said.
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