The Independent National Electoral Commission has formally recognized the Shehu Gabam-led National Working Committee of the Social Democratic Party, updating its official website to reflect the Court of Appeal’s decision and bringing to a close a protracted leadership dispute that had cast uncertainty over the party’s governance structure.
The commission’s website listed Gabam as the National Chairman under a bold inscription identifying the recognition as being made pursuant to a court order. Dr. Olu Agunloye was listed as National Secretary, while Hajia Maggie Mariam was recorded as National Treasurer and Aderemi Abimbola as National Legal Adviser.
The recognition followed a unanimous judgment delivered on March 27, 2026, by a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, in an appeal filed by party member Fayemi Babatunde challenging the validity of the Ekiti State governorship primary conducted under the rival leadership structure. The appellate court’s ruling was delivered by Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, alongside Justices Abba Mohammed and Oyejoju Oyewumi.
The dispute had its origins in competing claims to the party’s national chairmanship. The appellant specifically challenged the validity of actions taken by the NWC led by Dr. Sadiq Gombe, describing it as illegally constituted and in violation of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act. He had sought a court order restraining INEC from recognizing candidates produced by that leadership.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had initially dismissed the suit on January 19, 2026, with Justice Emeka Nwite affirming Gombe as the party’s authentic chairman and upholding the legality of the party’s processes. However, the Court of Appeal partially overturned this decision, holding that the trial court had lacked jurisdiction to make pronouncements on the SDP leadership dispute, and that any findings made without jurisdiction were null and void.
While setting aside the Federal High Court’s validation of both the Gombe leadership and the November 8, 2025 primary election, the appellate court relied on INEC’s monitoring report confirming that the primary had been conducted with valid delegates and produced a clear winner, Mr. Bankole Oludele, preserving that outcome despite nullifying the lower court’s pronouncements on party leadership.
