***Pressures INEC
The leadership camp of Professor Abubakar Sadiq Gombe in the Social Democratic Party has declared victory following Friday’s Supreme Court judgment, insisting the ruling has stripped all legal backing from attempts to challenge the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and disciplinary decisions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja alongside former National Secretary Olu Agunloye and Senator Ugochukwu Uba, Gombe said the apex court had effectively reaffirmed the authority of the SDP leadership under his faction while dismissing contrary interpretations circulating online.
The SDP chairman argued that the judgment demolished earlier Court of Appeal pronouncements touching on the party’s internal affairs and leadership structure, particularly issues linked to Shehu Musa Gabam.
“We represented the party physically at the Supreme Court. We have already applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment. Journalists can independently verify what transpired,” Gombe stated.
In a direct warning to rival forces within the party, he insisted no individual could override the authority of party institutions.
“We are talking about an institution, not individuals. One person cannot override the structure of the party,” he declared.
The Gombe camp also intensified pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission, demanding immediate recognition of the party’s decisions concerning Gabam’s suspension and eventual expulsion.
According to Gombe, the party followed due constitutional process before removing Gabam, including suspension, investigation and an opportunity for defence which he allegedly ignored.
“The NEC, which is the highest organ of the party after convention, ratified his expulsion. He refused to appear before the disciplinary committee and never appealed within the constitutional timeframe,” he said.
The faction maintained that the Supreme Court ruling reinforced the long-standing legal principle that internal party disputes remain matters for political parties themselves.
“The Supreme Court has again made it clear that issues concerning internal party affairs are within the jurisdiction of the party,” Gombe added.
Agunloye, however, shifted attention to INEC, accusing the electoral body of sidelining official correspondence sent by the SDP regarding the disciplinary measures against Gabam.
“The chairman of INEC admitted no correspondence on Gabam’s suspension or expulsion was brought before him, yet we have acknowledged copies showing those documents were submitted,” Agunloye alleged.
He argued that the crisis was being falsely portrayed as a struggle for control of the party rather than a disciplinary matter.
“What we are having in SDP is not a leadership tussle. A member committed infractions, the party disciplined him, and that action was ratified by party organs,” he said.
Senator Ugochukwu Uba also hailed the verdict, describing it as a victory for institutional democracy within political parties.
“Political parties must be allowed to enforce discipline within their structures without interference,” Uba stated.
Friday’s ruling stemmed from six appeals heard by the Supreme Court on May 12, 2026, including Fayemi Tosin Babatunde vs INEC & 4 Ors (SC/CV/229/2026). According to notes taken by counsel present in court, the apex court ruled that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi, thereby nullifying earlier pronouncements made by the Court of Appeal on SDP leadership and the Ekiti governorship primary dispute.
Despite the celebrations by the Gombe faction, the wider leadership crisis within the SDP appears far from over, with rival camps still awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment to strengthen their competing claims.