The crisis rocking the Social Democratic Party, SDP, has taken a new twist in Kogi State as a factional chairman, identified as Ahmed Attah, has emerged.
Attah emerged as SDP chairman in an emergency congress held in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Wednesday.
In his acceptance speech, Attah described his emergence as SDP chairman in Kogi State as not just a personal triumph but a testament to the power of collective effort and the unwavering commitment to the party’s shared values.
His words: “I want to express my deepest gratitude to the National Chairman of our great party, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, our principal, His Excellency Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, and all the party stakeholders for their trust and confidence in me and the executives of the State Working Committee. Your leadership and guidance have been instrumental in shaping our party’s vision and mission.
“To my fellow party members, I thank you for your unwavering support and dedication. Your hard work and perseverance have been the driving force behind our party’s success. I pledge to work tirelessly in line with our party’s constitution to promote its ideals to the best of my knowledge and capabilities, to foster unity and inclusivity among our members, and to champion the causes that will bring prosperity and progress to our beloved state.
“As we embark on this new chapter, I envision a brighter future for Kogi State—a future where every citizen has access to quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. A future where our state is a beacon of hope and prosperity for all Nigerians.
“Let us take a moment to remember and pay tribute to the memory of the souls of our party members who were murdered in the run-up to the November 2023 gubernatorial elections in Kogi. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten and will drive us to plan, strategize, and liberate the good people of Kogi State from the rudderless and corrupt order.
“Let us march forward together, with hope in our hearts and the conviction that a brighter future is within our grasp and replicate the winning streak of the SDP of old.”
DAILY POST recalls that the embattled SDP chairman in Kogi State, Moses Peter Oricha, had admonished the general public, security agencies, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to disregard this congress, claiming that the individuals involved are not members of the party.
In a swift reaction to this development, Oricha described the purported congress allegedly held by some persons he referred to as faceless and ghost members of the party as not only criminal, illegal, null, and void but also an effort in futility.
Speaking with journalists in Lokoja, the embattled SDP chairman noted that it was a criminal violation of due process to have gone ahead with a phantom congress despite a subsisting case before a court of competent jurisdiction over the matter.
According to him, their tenure will expire in April 2026, and he wondered why there was a rush to conduct an illegal congress.
He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agencies for not attending the said congress, which purportedly produced Ahmed Attah as chairman, Abdulrahaman Idris as secretary, among other executives of the party.
Speaking further, the embattled chairman said, “We urge the general public, security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to disregard this purported congress organized by some individuals masquerading as members of the party.
“It has just come to my notice that some ghost individuals claiming to be members of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Kogi State organized a state congress today, Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
“This is not only laughable but criminal in a modern democratic setting. These individuals are not only faceless but are also being sponsored by their paymasters—not just for their selfish interests but also to cause chaos in our party, which we built from scratch.
“The general public should not take these individuals seriously with their caricature of a state congress, which cannot stand the test of time because nobody knows them in SDP Kogi State.
“I have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission and copied the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Commissioner of Police, urging them to disregard this charade called congress.
“I am the authentic chairman of SDP in Kogi State, and we will not allow intruders who are working hard to destroy our party, which we have built over the years. This congress, held today, Wednesday, is null and void and cannot stand.”
Oricha recalled that the congress of the present executive under his leadership, held on April 9, 2022, remains valid under the SDP constitution.
Crisis rocks Kogi SDP as factional chairman emerges
