Court video clips: Supreme Court asks petitioner to first seek takedown under IT Act

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has dismissed an appeal by Shehu Gabam against the ruling that confirmed Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe as the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP. The decision was made by a panel of five justices on Wednesday.

The Court of Appeal had previously upheld Gombe's leadership, but the Supreme Court deemed the appeal to be irrelevant and dismissed it. The party's presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, stated that the plaintiffs were asked to withdraw the appeal and apologize.

Adebayo claimed that the decision ends the SDP's leadership crisis, noting that the Supreme Court ruled there was "no life" in the case. Regarding other matters filed by the SDP, Adebayo revealed that the opposition party had taken legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning the 2027 presidential election timetable.

They sought to limit INEC's alleged misuse of power and prevent it from hindering opposition parties. Adebayo emphasized that INEC's role is to serve democracy and adhere to the law.

SDP National Chairman Gombe expressed satisfaction with the Supreme Court's decision, highlighting the court's commitment to democracy. Earlier, the Court of Appeal had overturned Justice M.G. Umar's ruling in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026, which had dismissed Gabam's leadership as null and void.