Supreme Court dismisses Gabam’s appeal, confirms Gombe as SDP chair

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, confirming him as the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). This decision effectively dismissed Shehu Gabam's appeal in the ongoing leadership dispute within the party. The five-member panel, led by Justice Adamu Jauro, dismissed the appeal due to its irrelevance.

The lengthy legal battle over SDP's leadership had previously traversed the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal before reaching the Supreme Court. Prince Adewole Adebayo, the SDP presidential candidate and counsel to the party, expressed satisfaction with the judgment, stating that it marked the end of Gabam's claim to the party's leadership.

Adebayo also revealed that two other cases involving the SDP and INEC remained pending before the Supreme Court, seeking judicial clarification on the electoral commission's powers.

Prof. Gombe hailed the Supreme Court's decision as a victory for democracy, emphasizing that the party's legal challenges were not about defending its organizational interests, but rather about upholding democratic governance. The SDP remains focused on consolidating its leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections, amidst ongoing legal disputes with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).