By Jude Opara
The crisis rocking the Social Democratic Party (SDP) may be far from ending, as the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Prof. Sadiq Gombe has warned the former National Chairman, Shehu Gabam to stop parading a Federal High Court judgement to claim legitimacy, insisting that the Supreme Court had already taken a position on the matter.
In a statement on Friday, National Publicity Secretary (NPS) of the party, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, said the alleged letter written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Gabam through his lawyers was dead on arrival because the highest court in the land had since given its judgement, which cannot be reversed by the ruling of a lower court.
Aiyenigba called on INEC to take note that the said judgement has been appealed against, by the SDP, and it is now pending before the Court of Appeal.
He said it is clear that the said Plaintiff is not the governorship candidate of the SDP in the forthcoming Osun state governorship election and never participated in the party’s primary election. He added that one Dr Ajala is the SDP governorship candidate.
“With respect to the leadership of the SDP, the Supreme Court has maintained that courts do not have jurisdiction to determine who can be the National Chairman, National Secretary, and the leadership of a political party”.
The statement added that INEC has no duty under this judgement in reference to doing anything or refraining from doing anything in relation to the leadership of the SDP.
“There is no positive order mandating INEC to in this judgement to install Shehu Gabam as National Chairman or Ogbonna Okechukwu as National Secretary.
“Declaration 8 criticizing INEC for not recognising Shehu Gabam as National Chairman wrongly relied on Court of Appeal decision in Fayemi Tosin Babatunde vs INEC & 4 ORS and it is not binding because the said Court of Appeal judgement has been set aside by the Supreme Court in Fayemi Tosin Babatunde vs INEC delivered on 22nd May 2026 (one month and 2 days before this judgement was rendered relying on the judgement already set aside).
“In any case, INEC had already complied with the said Court of Appeal judgement in FAYEMI TOSIN BABATUNDE VS INEC until it was set aside by the Supreme Court on 22nd May 2026 in Fayemi Tosin Babatunde vs INEC and ors. There is, therefore, no subsisting judgement of the Court of Appeal, which the Federal High Court can criticise INEC for not complying with”.
The party urged INEC to maintain the status quo on its leadership until the final determination of the appeal by the Supreme Court because there is a subsisting decision of the Supreme Court which has set aside and nullified the judgement of the Court of Appeal referenced in this Federal High Court judgement under consideration.
“To tamper with the leadership of the SDP based on this High Court judgement would amount to the High Court overruling the Supreme Court by restoring to life, a Court of Appeal judgement which the Supreme Court has set aside and voided by it’s judgement of May 22, 2026”.
The SDP added that the alleged continued desperation and reckless shenanigans of Shehu Gabam amounts to deliberate threat and an assault on the nation’s democracy, and that he needs to be told that the party is not his private estate or inheritance.
The NPS added that the SDP has moved on with its preparations for the 2027 general elections, including completing the nomination process of Prince Adewole Adebayo, as its presidential candidate, and Dr. Usman Bugaje, as the Vice-presidential candidate, by uploading their names and documents to INEC portal, and currently working round the clock to meet its target of uploading all its other candidates who emerged from the primaries that were conducted across the states.
