The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal over the Social Democratic Party’s leadership, bringing to a close a long-running legal battle involving former National Chairman Shehu Gabam.
SDP counsel Prince Adewole Adebayo, who is also the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, told journalists the apex court found there was no longer a live issue and struck out the case.
The dispute began with a Federal High Court ruling by Justice Umar that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Gabam. The SDP appealed. The Court of Appeal set the High Court judgment aside. The original plaintiff then took the matter to the Supreme Court.
Adebayo said Gabam had already been removed from the party and did not challenge that removal. The suit seeking his recognition was filed by another party member.
“The Supreme Court said there’s no live issue here, and dismissed the case. So that’s the end of anything to do with Gabam and all of that in SDP,” Adebayo said.
The party did not ask the court to sanction the other side. “We don’t want to look like it’s personal. We could have asked for it, but we are too senior now at the Bar to be using the court process to punish anybody,” he added.
SDP National Chairman Prof. Sadiq Umar Gombe described the outcome as a victory for the party and for democracy. He said the SDP’s repeated court appearances were in defence of democratic process, not merely the party itself.
Two other SDP cases against INEC remain at the Supreme Court. They concern the commission’s timetable for political parties, including what the SDP says are shortened statutory periods for nominating and substituting candidates.
Adebayo said the party did not go to court because it could not meet the timetable. The aim, he said, was to curb what it sees as abuse of the electoral process and to keep INEC within the powers given to it by law.
“INEC’s job is to be a servant of democracy and to follow the law as stated,” he said. The party will continue to pursue those remaining cases.
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