…Verdict nullifies judgment recognising Gabam; SDP demands INEC respect party decisions

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has declared an end to its prolonged leadership crisis following a unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which set aside the Federal High Court judgment relied upon by the party’s expelled former National Chairman, Shehu Gabam.

The judgment was delivered by a three-member panel A Justice Muslim Sule Hassan (M.S. Hassan), Justice Lateef Adebayo Ganiyu and Justice Fadawu Umaru.

The SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, who spoke after Wednesday’s judgment, said the appellate court unanimously ruled in favour of the party on six applications and also upheld the party’s position on its governorship candidate for the Osun State election.

Adebayo said the Court of Appeal held that the Federal High Court judgment recognising Gabam and another former party member as acting National Secretary was a nullity because it contradicted an earlier decision of the Supreme Court delivered on May 22, 2026.

He said the appellate court’s decision had effectively removed the legal foundation of the rival leadership claim.

Adebayo further said the Court of Appeal ruled that the Federal High Court was wrong to entertain a suit challenging the SDP’s nomination of Dr Francis Ajala as its governorship candidate for the Osun election.

He described the judgment as a major victory for the SDP and Nigerian democracy, saying the party had spent months defending its leadership and candidate-selection decisions through litigation.

“The judiciary has done very well for Nigeria and has guided INEC very well,” Adebayo said.

He declared that the leadership crisis was now settled, adding that the SDP would shift its attention to the 2027 general elections and its political campaign against what he described as the “calamitous government” of President Bola Tinubu.

Adebayo also disclosed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had commenced preparations to reproduce the ballot papers to accommodate the SDP’s candidate.

While welcoming the development, he accused INEC of delaying the process and denying the party adequate time to campaign, participate in debates and engage voters.

“It’s better late than never,” he said.

Adebayo urged INEC to respect decisions legitimately taken by political parties, warning the commission against allowing external pressure to influence its handling of the SDP’s affairs.

“Where we nominate candidates and make our decisions, respect them,” he said, adding that the SDP had “earned our right to be left alone.”

He described the party’s prolonged legal battle as its “third missionary journey to the judiciary,” expressing hope that the latest judgment would end what he called the “harassment of SDP” by the electoral commission.

The SDP National Chairman, Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, said the judgment was not merely a victory for the party but an important development for Nigeria’s democracy.

Gombe commended the judiciary for what he described as the expeditious determination of the case, particularly the speed with which the appellate court handled the various applications.

He also paid tribute to Adebayo for leading the party’s legal team, describing the lawyers’ efforts as a major contribution to the defence of democratic principles.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank our presidential candidate that led the legal team for the wonderful job they have done to the party, not just to the party but our democracy and our nation,” Gombe said.

According to him, the significance of the judgment extends beyond Nigeria because the country’s democratic developments have wider implications for Africa.

Gombe urged INEC to respect all registered political parties, stressing that the electoral commission should not interfere in their internal affairs or decisions concerning leadership and candidate selection.

“We are not just calling on INEC to respect SDP alone, to respect all the political parties, the 22 registered political parties, and respect their internal affairs, their decisions about candidate selection and whatsoever,” he said.

The chairman also commended INEC for beginning the process of reproducing the ballot papers to include the SDP candidate, noting that the development came even before Wednesday’s judgment.

Gombe thanked the media for its coverage of the party’s prolonged legal battle, saying journalists had followed the dispute and continued to report the party’s position.

He appealed to the media to sustain its role in educating Nigerians ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We hope you are going to do everything possible to continue to enlighten the public toward having free, fair and credible 2027 general elections, with the SDP leading the pack of the other political parties in this country,” he said.

The chairman said the party would not take the media’s support for granted and pledged continued engagement with journalists as the SDP begins preparations for the 2027 general elections.

With the Court of Appeal’s latest ruling, the SDP leadership maintains that the prolonged battle over the party’s leadership and candidate nomination has now been settled, clearing the way for the party to concentrate on its political campaign and preparations for the 2027 elections.