The fierce battle for the soul of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) erupted again on Friday as the party launched a blistering attack on its expelled former National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, accusing him of attempting to “resurrect a dead judgment” to force his way back into the party’s leadership.

In what could deepen the legal and political crisis ahead of the 2027 general elections, the SDP warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that recognising Gabam on the strength of a recent Federal High Court judgment would amount to permitting a lower court to overturn the authority of Nigeria’s Supreme Court.

The warning came after Gabam’s lawyers reportedly wrote to INEC on July 9, forwarding a June 24 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja and urging the electoral body to act on it.

But the SDP dismissed the move as legally defective and constitutionally untenable, insisting that the very Court of Appeal judgment upon which the Federal High Court based its decision had already been nullified by the Supreme Court on May 22, 2026.

According to the party, “the foundation of the judgment has already collapsed.”

It argued that no court can build a valid legal structure on a decision that has ceased to exist in the eyes of the law, describing Gabam’s latest move as nothing more than “a wild goose chase.”

The party further maintained that the Federal High Court never ordered INEC to recognise Gabam as National Chairman or Ogbonna Okechukwu as National Secretary, insisting there is no enforceable order compelling the electoral commission to alter the SDP’s leadership records.

The SDP also challenged the legitimacy of the plaintiff in the suit, saying he neither contested nor emerged as its governorship candidate in Osun State, contrary to the impression created in the litigation. It reaffirmed that Dr. Ajala remains its duly nominated governorship candidate.

Citing settled judicial authorities, the party stressed that the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the internal leadership of political parties is fundamentally their domestic affair and outside the jurisdiction of the courts.

It therefore urged INEC to maintain the existing status quo pending the determination of the appeal, warning that acting otherwise would create what it described as “the dangerous spectacle of a High Court reviving a Court of Appeal judgment already buried by the Supreme Court.”

In one of its strongest attacks yet on Gabam, the SDP accused its former chairman of refusing to accept the end of his tenure, saying his “continued desperation and reckless shenanigans” pose a direct threat to democratic order within the party.

“The SDP is not Shehu Gabam’s private estate or family inheritance,” the statement declared. “It is a public institution owned by Nigerians.”

The party said the era of what it described as one-man rule had ended, claiming that its constitution, which it alleged had been sidelined for over three years, is now fully operational again.

To demonstrate what it called a return to institutional governance, the SDP said it has successfully held two National Executive Committee meetings within four months, restored constitutional processes and repositioned the party for the 2027 electoral contest.

It further disclosed that it has successfully nominated and uploaded the names of its presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, and his running mate, Dr. Usman Bugaje, while the process of uploading other candidates who emerged from its nationwide primaries is nearing completion.

The party said it has now shifted its attention to rebuilding its national structures, expanding membership, strengthening internal democracy and presenting itself as “the credible alternative platform” for Nigerians seeking political change in 2027.

Ending on a defiant note, the SDP insisted that no amount of litigation or political pressure can override the finality of the Supreme Court.

“The rule of law must prevail over the rule of men,” the party declared, arguing that Gabam’s latest legal offensive is destined to fail because the apex court has already pronounced on the central issues underpinning his claims.

The renewed exchange signals that the SDP’s internal power struggle is far from over and could continue to test INEC’s neutrality, while potentially shaping the party’s preparedness for what promises to be one of Nigeria’s most fiercely contested general elections.