The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ignore the Federal High Court judgment being relied upon by its expelled former National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, insisting that only the Supreme Court’s verdict on the party’s leadership remains valid.
The party said the High Court ruling cannot override the decision of the apex court, which had already nullified the Court of Appeal judgment upon which the Federal High Court based its decision.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the SDP said Gabam’s move to persuade INEC to recognise him as National Chairman was “an exercise in futility.”
The statement followed a July 9 letter reportedly sent to INEC by Gabam’s lawyers, Messrs White Chambers & Co., forwarding the June 24, 2026 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“The so-called Federal High Court judgment Shehu Gabam is parading cannot supersede the Supreme Court judgment because the Supreme Court has already set aside the judgment on which it is based,” the party declared.
The SDP said it had already appealed the High Court judgment and that the matter is pending before the Court of Appeal.
According to the party, there is no order in the judgment directing INEC to recognise Gabam as National Chairman or Ogbonna Okechukwu as National Secretary.
It further argued that the portion of the judgment faulting INEC relied on a Court of Appeal decision that had already been set aside by the Supreme Court on May 22, 2026.
The party urged INEC to maintain the current leadership of the SDP pending the determination of the appeal, warning that acting on the High Court judgment would amount to allowing a lower court to overrule the Supreme Court.
The SDP also dismissed the relevance of the suit to the Osun State governorship election, stressing that the plaintiff was neither its governorship candidate nor a participant in the party’s primary election.
It maintained that Dr. Ajala remains the duly nominated SDP governorship candidate in the state.
The party accused Gabam of attempting to destabilise the SDP, saying his actions amounted to “desperation” and a threat to internal democracy.
“The SDP is not his private estate or inheritance. It is a public institution belonging to Nigerians,” the statement said.
The party insisted that the Supreme Court’s judgment is final and binding, adding that Gabam was merely dissipating energy in a “wild goose chase.”
It also said it had moved beyond what it described as the “Gabam era” and was now focused on strengthening its structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the SDP, it has successfully held two National Executive Committee meetings within four months, ending years of what it called one-man rule.
The party disclosed that it had uploaded the names and credentials of its presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, and his running mate, Dr. Usman Bugaje, to INEC’s portal and was working to upload the details of other candidates who emerged from its primaries.
It added that it remains committed to expanding its membership, strengthening internal democracy and positioning itself as a credible alternative for Nigerians ahead of the 2027 polls.
