Court of Appeal Overturns Lower Court Ruling on SDP National Chairmanship
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has delivered a significant judgment, setting aside the ruling of a Federal High Court that had previously affirmed Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe as the authentic National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). This unanimous decision was made by a three-member panel of justices on March 27, 2026, in response to an appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/126/2026, which was filed by an aggrieved party member, Fayemi Tosin Babatunde.
Appellant's Grievances Focus on Ekiti State Governorship Primary
According to the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, which was made available to journalists in Abuja, the appellant approached the court to contest the validity of the Ekiti State governorship primary election. Babatunde argued that the leadership responsible for organizing the electoral process was not authentic and lacked the legal authority to appoint an electoral committee. The grievances specifically targeted the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe and Dr Olu Agunleye, alleging that this leadership was "illegally constituted" and had failed to adhere to the party's constitution and the Electoral Act in conducting the primaries.
SDP Reaffirms Gombe's Legitimacy Amidst Controversy
In a strong rebuttal, the Social Democratic Party has reaffirmed Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe as its legitimate National Chairman. The party dismissed what it described as false claims and misrepresentations of court rulings by the expelled former chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam. In a statement issued by the party's National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the SDP insisted that the recent judgments of the Court of Appeal were strictly related to governorship primary elections in Ekiti State and did not affect the party's leadership structure.
The party emphasized that Gabam's attempt to portray the court rulings as impacting leadership was "a deliberate distortion of facts," stressing that no court has removed Gombe from his position as chairman. The SDP further clarified that Gabam was not a party to the suit in question and was never mentioned in the judgment, which dealt solely with grievances arising from primary elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
Internal Party Matters and Jurisdiction Clarified
The statement from the SDP highlighted that internal party leadership matters remain the exclusive jurisdiction of political parties and cannot be determined by courts. Reiterating its position, the party noted that Gabam had been suspended in June 2025, investigated for alleged financial misappropriation, and subsequently expelled in October 2025. This decision was ratified by the National Executive Committee on March 9, 2026, underscoring the party's internal disciplinary processes.
This development underscores the ongoing tensions within the SDP regarding leadership and electoral processes, with the Court of Appeal's ruling adding a new layer of legal complexity to the party's internal dynamics.
