The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially recognised Prof. Sadiq Gombe as the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), replacing the expelled former Chairman, Shehu Gabam.
The development marks a major breakthrough in the prolonged leadership crisis that has unsettled the opposition party in recent months, with INEC updating its records to reflect the Supreme Court’s judgment.
The Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, announced the development in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, stating that the electoral commission had complied with the apex court’s ruling.
An independent check by our correspondent also confirmed that Gombe’s name now appears on INEC’s official portal as the recognised National Chairman of the SDP.
According to Aiyenigba, INEC removed the names of the former Chairman and other expelled members from its records on June 17.
The statement read, “INEC on Wednesday bowed to the autonomy of the Social Democratic Party by implementing the ruling of the Supreme Court by uploading the name of Prof. Sadiq Gombe to replace the expelled former national Chairman, Shehu Gabam, who was previously recognised by the commission on account of an earlier Court of Appeal judgment.
“Having finally overcome and laid to rest the externally induced leadership crisis, the Party now stands on a strong pedestal of sustainable stability to be strongly positioned for the 2027 general elections, with its very popular Presidential Candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, whom Nigerians comfortably relate with as possessing the requisite capacity and competence to take the country out of the woods.”
Aiyenigba commended INEC for respecting the rule of law and complying with judicial pronouncements.
“The decision of INEC to respect the rule of law and judicial authorities, particularly in this instance, is widely commended by not a few Nigerians, especially within the ranks of the SDP faithful nationwide,” he said.
He further argued that the Commission’s action aligns with the Supreme Court’s position that political parties have the constitutional right to manage their internal affairs without external interference.
“It is pertinent to note that this new stance of INEC to recognise and respect the autonomy of the SDP to choose its leadership and discipline and conduct its internal affairs solely in accordance with its constitution as moderated by the Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2026, is in line with the express guardian of the Supreme Court, that neither the courts nor INEC has authority or power to interfere in the internal affairs of political parties.
“We expect that INEC will use this moment to turn a new leaf and work cooperatively and respectfully with not only the SDP, but all political parties, in a manner that will show that the word ‘independent’, which is the first name of INEC, is not a hollow term.”
The SDP also reaffirmed its commitment to working with democratic institutions and Nigerians to deepen democracy and tackle the country’s socio-economic challenges.
The leadership dispute within the Party intensified after rival factions clashed over control of the SDP’s national structure. Although Shehu Gabam had continued to enjoy recognition based on an earlier Court of Appeal ruling, the Party maintained that subsequent legal decisions, culminating in the Supreme Court judgment, affirmed its constitutional authority to determine its leadership and discipline members in accordance with its rules.
