The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reversed a Federal High Court decision that had previously acknowledged the expelled member Shehu Gabam as the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). A panel of three justices—Fadawu Umaru, M.S. Hassan, and L.A. Ganiyu—issued a unanimous decision on Wednesday.
Justice Fadawu Umaru, delivering the lead judgment, declared the earlier ruling by Justice M.G. Umar in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026 to be null and void. This outcome followed an appeal brought by the SDP leadership under Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe. The appellate court determined that the lower court’s decision was legally flawed, noting that it directly contradicted a prior Supreme Court ruling that supported the Gombe-led faction.
Prince Adewole Adebayo, the SDP presidential candidate and legal counsel for the appellants, stated that the court ruled in the party’s favor across all six applications. Adebayo emphasized that the ruling effectively bars Shehu Gabam from forcing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize him or his associates as party officials. He further asserted that the decision settles the internal leadership dispute definitively, allowing the party to focus on the 2027 electoral cycle.
Prof. Gombe expressed gratitude to the judiciary for the swift resolution. He also called upon INEC to uphold the autonomy of political parties regarding their internal governance and the selection of candidates. Gombe acknowledged the legal team’s efforts and thanked the media for their coverage throughout the protracted disagreement.
