The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has updated its official website to recognise Shehu Gabam as the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), following a recent judgment by the Court of Appeal.
As of Sunday, the commission’s website now displays Gabam as National Chairman, with Olu Agunloye listed as National Secretary, beneath the party’s name and logo.
Other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) listed include Hajia Maggie Mariam as National Treasurer and Aderemi Abimbola as National Legal Adviser. The position of National Secretary was notably not listed.
In a bold inscription directly preceding the names of the executive members, INEC stated: “By Court Order.”
The development was confirmed following further checks with the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, and the Commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Etta-Messi.
The commission’s action stems from a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on March 27, 2026. The court ruled on an appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/126/2026, filed by an aggrieved party member, Fayemi Babatunde.
The appellant had challenged the validity of the SDP’s Ekiti State governorship primary, arguing that the party leadership that conducted the exercise—led by Dr. Sadiq Gombe—lacked legitimacy and legal authority.
While the Federal High Court in Abuja had initially dismissed the case on January 19, 2026, with Justice Emeka Nwite affirming Gombe as the party’s authentic chairman, the appellate court partially overturned that decision. The Appeal Court held that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to make pronouncements on the SDP leadership tussle.
Delivering the judgment, the panel—comprising Justices Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, Abba Mohammed, and Oyejoju Oyewumi—ruled that any findings made without jurisdiction were null and void.
“The appeal succeeds in part,” the court held, affirming only that the appellant was not an aspirant in the disputed primary.
The court subsequently set aside the Federal High Court’s pronouncement recognising Gombe as the authentic leader of the party, as well as its validation of the November 8, 2025 primary election.
However, the appellate court relied on INEC’s monitoring report (Exhibit INEC 3), which confirmed that the primary election was conducted with valid delegates and produced a winner, Mr. Bankole Oludele.
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