…Affirms Gombe Leadership

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday nullified a Federal High Court judgment that recognised Shehu Gabam as National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), bringing a major chapter in the party’s prolonged leadership dispute to a close.

New Telegraph reports that in a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel comprising Justices Fadawu Umaru, M.S. Hassan and L.A. Ganiyu, the appellate court set aside the decision of Justice M.G. Umar in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026, declaring it null and void.

The appeal was filed by the SDP leadership led by Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, which had challenged the Federal High Court ruling that recognised Gabam as chairman despite an earlier Supreme Court judgment on the matter.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Umaru held that the lower court’s decision was fundamentally flawed because it contradicted a subsisting Supreme Court ruling that had already settled the leadership question in favour of the Gombe-led executive.

The dispute stems from a protracted battle over the control of the SDP following the expulsion of Gabam and disagreements over the party’s leadership structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The controversy had also affected the recognition of party officials and candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Reacting to the judgment, SDP presidential candidate and lead counsel to the appellants, Prince Adewole Adebayo, described the verdict as a complete victory for the party, noting that the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the appellants in all six applications before it.

According to Adebayo, the appellate court found that the Federal High Court lacked the basis to recognise Gabam since the issue had already been determined by the Supreme Court in its May 22, 2026 judgment.

He added that the court also affirmed the nomination of Dr Francis Ajala as the SDP governorship candidate for the August 15 Osun State governorship election, holding that the lower court erred in entertaining a suit challenging his candidacy.

Adebayo said the judgment had effectively resolved the lingering leadership crisis within the party and provided much-needed clarity for INEC and other stakeholders.

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

He expressed confidence that the ruling would finally put an end to internal disputes and enable the party to focus on its preparations for future elections.

Also speaking, SDP National Chairman, Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, commended the judiciary for what he described as the speedy and decisive resolution of the matter.

He urged INEC to respect the internal decisions of political parties, particularly on issues relating to leadership and candidate selection, stressing that such matters should remain within the constitutional framework governing party affairs.

Gombe also praised Adebayo and the party’s legal team for their efforts throughout the litigation and thanked members of the media for their coverage of the dispute.

He called on journalists to continue promoting public awareness and democratic values as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.

The judgment is expected to strengthen the position of the Gombe-led SDP leadership and remove lingering uncertainties surrounding the party’s structure and candidates ahead of key electoral contests.

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