Nasarawa SDP crisis deepens as Ajegena moves to control secretariat
By Edwin Phillip, Lafia
LAFIA — The leadership crisis rocking the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Nasarawa State deepened on Monday as the party’s state chairman, Barrister Ibrahim Likita Ajegena, said he had assumed control of the party secretariat in Lafia.
Ajegena also declared that the party was prepared to wrest power from the ruling party in the state and at the centre in the 2027 general elections.
Addressing journalists against the backdrop of the lingering disagreement within the Nasarawa SDP, Ajegena dismissed reports of a serious crisis, describing those challenging his leadership as “aggrieved members” who had allegedly resorted to what he termed “spoiler” activities after failing to achieve their objectives within the party.
“There is no crisis in the SDP. There are only some aggrieved members who feel that they could not do anything but to become spoilers,” Ajegena said.
He insisted that the party remained functional despite the disagreement and had continued to operate through its zonal offices across the state.
The chairman said his move to reclaim the official state secretariat, located along Jos Road, opposite the Catholic Church in Lafia, was a signal that the party had entered a new phase and would not allow internal disagreements to derail its preparations for the 2027 elections.
His return to the secretariat came barely two days after the SDP conducted a substitution primary across Nasarawa State, producing former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election following the withdrawal of Musa Adamu Angba.
The primary was conducted across the state’s 13 local government areas, with 28,637 delegates participating, according to the SDP Electoral Committee.
Adamu, who was the sole aspirant in the exercise, emerged as the party’s candidate after securing the highest number of valid votes.
Reacting to the turnout, Ajegena described the large crowd at the exercise as a warning to rival political parties, saying it demonstrated growing acceptance of the SDP among residents of the state.
“What we witnessed on Saturday is a sign of victory. The crowd was massive and it showed that the people are with us,” he said.
Ajegena said the SDP would immediately intensify grassroots mobilisation across the 13 local government areas, stressing that the party’s ambition went beyond merely participating in the 2027 elections.
“We are battle-ready for 2027. The SDP is prepared to take Nasarawa State, and we are also prepared to take the presidency,” he said.
However, the leadership dispute appears unresolved, as a factional chairman of the party, Danlami Musa, who is also chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and belongs to the Shehu Gabam-led group, had also laid claim to the party secretariat.
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