Court Reaffirms Gabam as SDP National Chairman

The leadership crisis rocking the Social Democratic Party (SDP) may be far from over, as a Federal High Court in Abuja has reaffirmed Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam as the authentic National Chairman of the party, reinforcing his claim to the leadership amid the ongoing internal dispute.

According to the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday, July 9, 2026, the court ruled that Gabam remains the recognised National Chairman of the SDP and is legally authorised to act on behalf of the party in matters relating to the submission of candidates for elections.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Salawu-Adeniyi Mustapha Olaitan against INEC, the SDP, Gabam and the party’s Acting National Secretary, Uchechukwu Chukwuma, over the nomination of the SDP governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
The suit also questioned the powers of INEC and the authority of the party’s national leadership in the submission of candidates for elections.
In its ruling, the court reaffirmed that under Sections 29(1) and 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, political parties act through their recognised national officers when submitting the names of candidates to INEC.
The court declared that Gabam, as National Chairman, together with the Acting National Secretary, has the legal authority to sign, transmit and authenticate the submission of candidates on behalf of the party, noting that such submissions amount to valid compliance with the Electoral Act.
It further held that once a candidate emerges from a validly conducted primary election, the responsibility of the party’s national officers is purely administrative—to communicate the party’s decision to INEC—and that such administrative actions cannot override the outcome of a valid primary election.
The judgment also stressed that the Electoral Act expressly recognises political parties, acting through their recognised national leadership, as the lawful authorities for submitting candidates, and that INEC has a statutory duty to act on such submissions.
According to the court, the electoral commission has no statutory discretion to reject, ignore or refuse to recognise the name of a candidate who emerged from a valid primary election and whose name was submitted in line with the Electoral Act.
The court observed that the law does not permit INEC to question or challenge the internal authority structure of a political party once a submission has been made through its recognised leadership. It added that any refusal by the commission to accept such a submission because it was transmitted by the National Chairman and Acting National Secretary would be contrary to the Electoral Act, ultra vires, null and void.
In reaching its decision, the court relied on the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as several Supreme Court decisions, including SDP v. INEC (2023) and Jegede v. INEC (2021), which affirm that the nomination and sponsorship of candidates are internal affairs of political parties, while INEC’s role is limited to receiving and publishing candidates validly submitted in accordance with the law.
The judgment is expected to strengthen Gabam’s position in the prolonged leadership tussle within the SDP, where rival factions have continued to lay claim to the party’s national leadership.
Political observers believe the ruling could have far-reaching implications for the party’s preparations for future elections, particularly in determining who has the legal authority to communicate official party decisions, submit candidates and interface with INEC on behalf of the party.