The protracted internal feud that fractured the Social Democratic Party (SDP) reached a decisive conclusion on Wednesday, as the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja set aside a lower court judgment that had recognized the party’s expelled former chairman, Shehu Gabam.
The legal battle stems from a deep-seated leadership crisis within the SDP, which erupted after the party expelled Gabam over internal administrative disputes and non-compliance with party directives.
The court verdict also affirmed the nomination of Dr. Francis Ajala as the official SDP gubernatorial candidate for Osun State for the Saturday governorship election.
Despite his expulsion, Gabam challenged the party’s structure in court, securing a ruling at the Federal High Court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026 under Justice M.G. Umar. The judgment reinstated Gabam and threw the party’s executive structure-and its official nominations for upcoming elections-into confusion.
Refusing to accept the lower court’s decision, the SDP leadership, headed by Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, filed an appeal arguing that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to reverse internal party discipline and had acted contrary to established judicial precedence.
Delivering the unanimous verdict of a three-member appellate panel comprising Justices Fadawu Umaru, M.S. Hassan, and L.A. Ganiyu, Justice Umaru declared the Federal High Court judgment null and void.
The appellate bench held that the lower court erred fundamentally, failing to adhere to an earlier Supreme Court ruling delivered on May 22, 2026, which had already validated the Gombe-led executive.
Beyond resolving the chairmanship, the appellate court also put an end to the secondary conflict over candidate selection by affirming the nomination of Dr. Francis Ajala as the official SDP governorship candidate for Osun State, ruling that the lower court had no business entertaining challenges to his ticket.
Addressing journalists after the judgment, SDP presidential candidate and lead counsel to the appellants, Prince Adewole Adebayo, described the ruling as a total victory that considered six applications and resolved every point in favour of the party.
‘The court declared the Federal High Court judgment recognizing Gabam null and void because it contradicted an earlier Supreme Court decision delivered on May 22, 2026,’ Adebayo stated. ‘The judiciary has done very well for Nigeria and has guided INEC very well.’
Adebayo emphasized that the ruling marks the absolute end of the legal wrangling, providing much-needed administrative clarity to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding who holds the party’s reins.
Echoing these sentiments, the affirmed SDP National Chairman, Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, praised the judiciary for its swift intervention in restoring order to the party’s internal governance.
‘INEC should respect the internal affairs of all registered political parties, particularly their decisions on candidate selection,’ Gombe remarked, urging the electoral umpire to align strictly with party constitutions.
Expressing gratitude to the legal team and media for keeping the public informed during the crisis, Gombe added:
‘We urge journalists to continue enlightening the public toward ensuring free, fair, and credible 2027 general elections.’
With the appellate court setting aside the lower court’s order and reinforcing the Supreme Court’s stance, the SDP structure under Prof. Gombe now shifts its focus toward consolidating its ranks and preparing for the upcoming election cycles without the shadow of dual leadership.