Appeal Court voids recognition of Sadiq Gombe as SDP National Chairman

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has set aside the judgment of a Federal High Court which recognised Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe as the authentic National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In a unanimous decision delivered on March 27, 2026, a three-member panel of the appellate court partly upheld an appeal filed by Fayemi Tosin Babatunde, who had challenged the legitimacy of the party’s leadership and its role in conducting the Ekiti State governorship primary.

According to the Certified True Copy of the judgment obtained in Abuja, the appellant argued that the National Working Committee led by Gombe and Olu Agunleye was illegally constituted and lacked the authority to organise the primary election.

The case initially went in favour of the SDP leadership at the Federal High Court, where Emeka Nwite ruled on January 19, 2026, that Gombe’s emergence as chairman complied with the party’s constitution.

However, the appellate court overturned key aspects of that decision, holding that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to pronounce on the party’s leadership dispute.

Delivering the lead judgment, Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike ruled that the lower court’s affirmation of Gombe as chairman was made without jurisdiction and was therefore invalid.

> “The appeal succeeds in part… the decision… having been made without jurisdiction and been perverse is set aside,” the court held.

The appellate court also nullified the earlier ruling validating the SDP governorship primary held on November 8, 2025, declaring that the party has no valid candidate for the Ekiti governorship election, as affected parties were not before the court.

Despite this, the court acknowledged evidence from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirming that a primary election was monitored, with Bankole David Oludele emerging as winner.