Court of Appeal Ends SDP Leadership Battle, Affirms Prof Gombe as National Chairman

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has finally put an end to the protracted legal fight over the soul of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, by affirming Prof Abubakar Sadiq Gombe as the party’s National Chairman. In a unanimous ruling delivered on Wednesday, a three-man panel led by Justice Fadawu Umaru struck down the earlier Federal High Court judgment that had recognized the expelled Shehu Gabam as the party’s leader.

The appellate court, which also included Justices M.S. Hassan and L.A. Ganiyu, declared Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026 a nullity, voiding it in its entirety. The decision comes as a major relief for the Gombe-led faction, which had appealed the lower court’s ruling that sought to reinstate Gabam despite his expulsion from the party.

Justice Umaru held that the Federal High Court had erred in law, noting that the Supreme Court had already settled the leadership question in favor of Gombe’s camp on May 22, 2026. The ruling effectively removes any lingering ambiguity about who legitimately controls the SDP.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has already begun acting on the judgment. Sources confirm that the commission has moved to include the SDP on the ballot for the upcoming governorship election in Osun State, a clear signal that it is now aligning with the appellate court’s decision.

Reacting to the verdict, Prince Adewole Adebayo, the SDP’s presidential candidate and lead counsel, said the appellate court dismissed all six applications filed by parties involved in the dispute. He explained that the judgment rested on two key grounds: the lower court’s contradiction of a binding Supreme Court ruling, and its wrongful recognition of an expelled member.

“Today, the Court of Appeal set aside the Federal High Court judgment which Gabam was using to compel INEC to recognize him as National Chairman,” Adebayo said. He also noted that the court validated Dr Francis Ajala as the SDP’s governorship candidate in Osun State, faulting the Federal High Court for entertaining a rival claim from Salahu.

Adebayo described the verdict as the final chapter in a months-long legal tussle that had distracted the party ahead of the 2027 elections. “The judiciary has done very well for Nigeria and has guided INEC very well. This matter is over and settled,” he added. With the dispute now resolved, he said the SDP would shift its focus to unseating the APC government in the next general elections.

Prof Sadiq Gombe, the affirmed National Chairman, also praised the judiciary for handling the case with remarkable speed, noting that the matter was concluded within just four to five days. He called on INEC to respect the internal decisions of all 22 registered political parties, particularly when it comes to candidate selection.