The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), led by Prof. Sodiq Gombe, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disregard a Federal High Court judgment being relied upon by the party’s embattled former acting National Chairman, Shehu Gabam.
In a statement issued on Friday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba, the SDP said the legal basis for the judgment had been nullified by the Supreme Court and insisted that the ruling was already being challenged at the Court of Appeal.
The party said the judgment, which Gabam recently submitted to INEC in support of his renewed claim to the party’s leadership, remained the subject of an appeal and should not be treated as final.
According to the SDP, the Supreme Court has consistently held that courts lack jurisdiction to determine the leadership of political parties, including who serves as national chairman or national secretary.
The party also clarified that the plaintiff in the suit was not the SDP’s governorship candidate in Osun State and did not participate in the party’s primary election, maintaining that Dr. Ajala remains its governorship candidate.
The SDP said it had moved beyond what it described as the “distraction” caused by Gabam and was now focused on strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The leadership dispute follows the removal of Gabam’s name from INEC’s portal and the subsequent upload of Prof. Gombe’s name. However, Gabam has continued to lay claim to the party’s leadership, citing a Federal High Court judgment delivered on June 24.
