The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has effectively aligned itself with judicial pronouncements on the leadership crisis in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), recognising the party structure headed by National Chairman Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe in a move widely seen as a major setback for the rival camp led by former National Chairman Shehu Musa Gabam.
The development followed a high-level meeting between SDP leaders and the electoral commission in Abuja, where party officials said INEC acknowledged court decisions affirming the legitimacy of the current leadership and the supremacy of the party’s constitutional processes.
The recognition marks a significant turning point in a crisis that has engulfed the SDP for months, resulting in disciplinary proceedings, legal battles, parallel conventions and competing claims to the party’s leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking after the meeting, Gombe expressed confidence that the electoral umpire would comply with court judgments and respect the constitutional autonomy of political parties in determining their leadership.
“The issue of party leadership is an exclusive reserve of the political party to decide on its leadership. The Supreme Court has severally ruled in this respect. It is the party itself that determines who leads it,” he said.
According to Gombe, discussions with INEC were cordial and productive, with the commission indicating that relevant court judgments and party documents had only recently been brought to the attention of its leadership.
“We were invited for the meeting. We came to the meeting and the meeting went on well. We are happy with the way the meeting went on. The INEC Chairman told us that he had just returned from a foreign trip and that the Supreme Court judgment and other relevant documents reached his table only yesterday,” he stated.
The roots of the crisis date back to disciplinary proceedings initiated by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) against Gabam and other officials over allegations of misconduct, financial infractions and violations of the SDP Constitution.
Party leaders maintain that the process was conducted in accordance with Article 123 of the party’s constitution. An investigative committee was established, invitations were issued and opportunities for fair hearing were provided to all affected officials.
According to the Gombe-led leadership, Gabam failed to appear before the disciplinary panel despite repeated invitations. The committee subsequently recommended his expulsion, a decision ratified by the National Executive Committee (NEC) during its March 9, 2026 meeting.
“The NEC, which is the highest organ of the party after convention, ratified his expulsion. He was suspended, investigated, given room for fair hearing for two weeks, but he refused to appear before the committee. He was eventually expelled and never appealed through the party’s internal mechanisms within the constitutional timeframe,” Gombe said.
Gabam, however, rejected the decision and insisted he remained the legitimate national chairman, setting the stage for a prolonged leadership battle that eventually split the party into rival factions.
The dispute escalated further when both camps organised separate national conventions.
While the Gombe-led faction held its convention in Bauchi, insisting it complied with the Electoral Act and the SDP Constitution, the Gabam camp staged a parallel convention in Abuja
The Bauchi convention produced former presidential candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo as the SDP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, a move the Gombe faction presented as evidence that the recognised party structure remained firmly in control of the organisation.
The leadership crisis also spilled into the courts, culminating in judicial pronouncements that the Gombe camp says reaffirmed the established legal principle that internal party affairs, including leadership disputes and disciplinary measures, are matters primarily governed by party constitutions.
National Secretary of the party, Dr. Olu Agunloye, described the conflict as an attempted takeover of the SDP by political interests seeking to position themselves ahead of the next election cycle.
Speaking during his State of the Party address at the SDP’s 2026 National Convention recently Agunloye declared that the party had successfully resisted efforts to hijack its structures.
“The party survived the siege of takeover attempts by self-serving politicians and agents of coalition,” he said.
Agunloye argued that the reforms introduced within the party since 2018, including constitutional amendments and internal restructuring, helped strengthen the SDP against what he described as external interference and opportunistic political interests.
Political observers say INEC’s acceptance of the court-backed leadership may finally provide clarity for party members and stakeholders after months of uncertainty.
The development is also being interpreted as a reaffirmation of the principle that judicial decisions remain binding on public institutions, including electoral authorities, while underscoring the courts’ increasingly prominent role in resolving intra-party disputes.
Despite the bitter contest, Gombe signalled a willingness to accommodate aggrieved members willing to return to the party under its constitutional framework.
“If there is any need for reconciliation, we are leaders. If anyone realises his mistake and wants to amend, there is nothing bad about it,” he said.
With INEC now appearing to recognise the Gombe-led structure and the party’s presidential ticket already settled at the Bauchi convention, attention is expected to shift toward the SDP’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
For the Gombe faction, however, the latest development represents more than a victory in a leadership contest. It is being celebrated as confirmation that party discipline, constitutional procedure and the rule of law ultimately prevailed over competing political interests.