The Kogi State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has elected Ahmed Attah as its new chairman, but his emergence comes amid growing internal turmoil and leadership disputes within the party.
Attah’s election, which has been met with excitement by party members, follows a heated power struggle that saw the party’s embattled chairman, Moses Peter Oricha, dismissing the congress that produced Attah as illegal and orchestrated by faceless individuals.
In a statement issued before the congress, Oricha urged the general public, security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disregard the event, calling it a desperate attempt by external forces to destabilize 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 are planning to organise a state congress this Wednesday, March 12, 2025,” Oricha stated.
Describing the move as “laughable and criminal,” he insisted that the congress could not stand the test of time, as the state executive, which he leads, was duly elected in April 2022 and remains valid until 2026, in line with the SDP constitution.
However, despite Oricha’s opposition, the congress went ahead, and Ahmed Attah was overwhelmingly elected as the new state chairman. In his acceptance speech, Attah expressed gratitude to the National Chairman of the SDP, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, and other party stakeholders for their trust in him.
“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,” he said.
Attah pledged to work tirelessly to promote the party’s ideals, foster unity, and champion development across Kogi State.
“I pledge to work in line with our party’s constitution to promote its ideals, foster unity, and champion the causes that will bring prosperity to our beloved state,” he added.
Attah also paid tribute to SDP members who lost their lives in the run-up to the November 2023 gubernatorial elections in Kogi State, vowing that their sacrifices would not be forgotten.
Despite Attah’s assurances of a united front, the crisis within the party appears far from over. Oricha has written to INEC, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, urging them to disregard and halt what he called an “illegal” congress.
The unfolding drama within Kogi SDP reflects a deepening division that could shape the party’s fortunes ahead of future elections. As Ahmed Attah assumes leadership, he faces the challenge of uniting a fractured party and navigating a political landscape marked by competing interests and power struggles.