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A leadership crisis has engulfed the Kogi State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) following the emergence of a factional executive committee led by a former All Progressives Congress (APC) zonal leader, Ahmed Attah.
During a congress held at the party’s state secretariat on Wednesday, Attah was elected chairman alongside Idris Sofada as the state secretary.
The 12-member executive committee was chosen by 3,890 delegates from Kogi’s 21 local government areas, with officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) present to monitor proceedings.
Addressing party members after his election, Attah pledged to ensure fairness and reposition the party for electoral victory.
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“This has positioned SDP as the party to beat in the 2028 governorship election,” he declared.
However, a parallel faction led by Moses Oricha dismissed the congress, describing it as “illegal, null, and void.”
Oricha, whose leadership tenure is set to expire in April 2026, accused the congress organisers of violating due process and disregarding a court case concerning the party’s leadership.
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“It has come to my notice that some individuals claiming to be SDP members organised a state congress yesterday. This is laughable and criminal. They are faceless and sponsored by paymasters to cause chaos in our party,” Oricha said.
He further urged security agencies to disregard the congress outcome, alleging it was a deliberate attempt to destabilise the party.
The crisis now threatens SDP’s unity in Kogi as the two factions remain locked in a fierce battle for control.