A panel of three judges at the Abuja Court of Appeal has overturned a Federal High Court ruling that previously identified Shehu Gabam as the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Justices Fadawu Umaru, M.S. Hassan, and L.A. Ganiyu reached a unanimous decision to invalidate the earlier judgment issued by Justice M.G. Umar in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026.
This outcome stems from an appeal initiated by the faction led by Prof. Abubakar Gombe. The appellate court determined the original high court verdict was incorrect, citing that it conflicted with a previous ruling by the Supreme Court from May 22, 2026, which supported the Gombe-led administration.
Prince Adewole Adebayo, the SDP presidential candidate and legal representative for the appellants, noted that the court ruled favorably across all six applications. Furthermore, the court validated the candidacy of Dr. Francis Ajala for the Osun State governorship race, stating the initial high court lawsuit regarding his nomination should not have been heard. Prof. Gombe welcomed the conclusion of this leadership conflict, praising the judiciary for its swift resolution and calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission to respect the party’s internal candidate selection processes.
