SDP Chair Receives Top Arewa Students Award, Calls for Credible Leadership

National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Professor Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe, has urged Nigerian youths to embrace integrity, good character and selfless service as the bedrock of responsible leadership and national development.

Professor Gombe made the call in Abuja while receiving a delegation of the Arewa Students Forum, which conferred on him its highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Arewa Students Forum (GCASF). He was also inducted as a patron of the organization and presented with a Certificate of Appreciation.
The SDP chairman described the recognition as an honour for the party’s National Executive Committee and leadership, noting that it reflected the collective efforts of officials committed to providing purposeful leadership. He commended the Arewa Students Forum for promoting peace, unity and leadership development, adding that the quality of presentations by members of the delegation reinforced his confidence in Nigeria’s future.
He encouraged young Nigerians to build lives anchored on character, stressing that education without integrity holds little value. According to him, character remains the greatest asset anyone can possess because it shapes legacy and earns lasting respect.
Recalling his days as a student union leader at Ahmadu Bello University, Gombe said student activism helped shape his leadership philosophy through campaigns that improved students’ welfare and encouraged constructive national dialogue. He urged students to rise above ethnic, religious, regional and political considerations when choosing leaders, advising them to support only individuals with proven competence, integrity and commitment to public service.
The SDP national chairman also called on members of the forum to mobilize eligible youths to participate actively in elections, noting that organized youth participation could significantly influence Nigeria’s democratic process and shape the country’s future. He praised the forum for maintaining its non-partisan stance while promoting civic responsibility, emphasizing that Nigeria’s progress depends largely on the quality of leaders produced through credible electoral choices.
Earlier, National President of the Arewa Students Forum, Comrade Abubakar Abdullahi, said the organization has more than 2.1 million members across the 19 Northern states, the Federal Capital Territory and the diaspora. He explained that the forum promotes peace, leadership development, career guidance and humanitarian services through seminars, mentorship programmes and campaigns against drug abuse, examination malpractice, cultism, violent extremism and other social vices.
Abdullahi said Professor Gombe was selected for the honour after a careful assessment of his longstanding contributions to education, youth development and humanitarian service, stressing that the award was based strictly on merit rather than political office.
Also speaking, SDP National Vice Chairman (South East), Senator Ugochukwu Uba, described Professor Gombe as a humble servant leader whose accessibility, integrity and commitment to service distinguish him from many political leaders. He commended the Arewa Students Forum for recognizing exemplary leadership, saying the award affirmed the quality of leadership within the SDP and reflected the forum’s credibility in identifying deserving Nigerians.
The event featured the presentation of a Certificate of Appreciation, Professor Gombe’s induction into the Hall of Fame as a Patron of the Arewa Students Forum and the conferment of the prestigious title of Grand Commander of the Arewa Students Forum (GCASF) in the presence of party leaders, students and invited guests.