Shettima rally: SDP denies sponsoring disruption, faults Nasarawa govt

By Edwin Philip, Lafia The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Nasarawa State has denied allegations linking its governorship candidate, retired Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, and former Governor Tanko Al-Makura to the disruption of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Lafia. The party also accused the Nasarawa State Government of attempting to find scapegoats among opposition figures following the incident at Lafia Square on Wednesday, where President Bola Tinubu was represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

Reacting to the allegation in a statement on Thursday, Deputy Director-General, Media, Publicity and Communication, and spokesperson for the SDP governorship campaign council, Makpa Malla, described a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Shuaibu Magaji Labaran, as reckless, irresponsible and politically motivated. Malla particularly faulted the government’s reference to Al-Makura and Adamu as suspected sponsors of the disruption, describing it as a serious allegation of criminal complicity and conspiracy.

“The most disturbing aspect of the government’s statement is paragraph three, which expressly names H.E. Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and rtd. IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, the Governorship Candidate of the SDP, as suspected sponsors of the alleged disruption,” the statement said. The campaign council argued that publicly linking the individuals to an alleged criminal act without presenting verifiable evidence raised questions about defamation, due process and the alleged abuse of governmental authority.

It maintained that the use of the expression “suspected to be sponsored” did not absolve the government of responsibility for making damaging allegations against identifiable individuals. The SDP said if the government had credible intelligence implicating the individuals, it should submit such evidence to the appropriate investigative authorities rather than make public accusations.

It cautioned against what it described as a trial by press release, insisting that political opponents should not be pronounced guilty in the court of public opinion. The party also criticised the state government over what it described as more pressing governance challenges, including political grievances arising from the APC’s internal primaries, which it claimed contributed to tensions surrounding the incident.

The SDP, however, said it would welcome the outcome of an independent, evidence-based investigation into the disruption, provided it was free from political interference. It specifically called for the Department of State Services (DSS), which is expected to investigate the incident, to be allowed to discharge its responsibilities professionally without pressure to validate predetermined allegations.

“The DSS must be allowed to do its work professionally, without being turned into an instrument for settling political scores or intimidating perceived political opponents,” the statement added. The party challenged the Nasarawa State Government to demonstrate equal commitment to investigating the causes of insecurity, political intolerance and rising political tension in the state.

It insisted that Nasarawa belonged to all its citizens and that political competition and opposition should not be treated as offences. The SDP urged Governor Abdullahi Sule to focus on governance, restoring public confidence and promoting political tolerance, while ensuring equal protection under the law for residents irrespective of their political affiliations.