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The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja seeking a stay of execution of a Federal High Court judgment touching on its leadership and the nomination of its candidate for the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
The party is also asking the appellate court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from implementing the judgment pending the determination of its appeal.
The dispute follows the June 24, 2026, judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed INEC to give effect to an earlier Court of Appeal decision recognising Shehu Musa Gabam as the party’s National Chairman.
However, the SDP argued that the Supreme Court had, on May 22, 2026, set aside the appellate court’s judgment, following which INEC reinstated Prof. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe as the party’s National Chairman.
The party contended that the High Court lacked the jurisdiction to make orders that, in its view, conflict with an existing decision of the Supreme Court.
In the motion filed before the Court of Appeal and marked CA/ABJ/CV/1011/2026, the SDP described the issues raised in its appeal as substantial and deserving of judicial consideration before any step is taken to enforce the lower court’s decision.
According to the application, implementation of the judgment before the appeal is determined could alter the subject matter of the case and render the appeal ineffective if it eventually succeeds.
The appeal arose from the judgment delivered by Justice M.G. Umar in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026.
Listed as respondents are Salawu-Adeniyi Mustapha Olaitan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Shehu Musa Gabam and Uchechukwu Chukwuma.
The SDP maintains that Gabam and Chukwuma are no longer members of the party, while also noting that both are facing separate criminal proceedings before a Wuse Magistrate Court.
The legal dispute also centres on the recognition of Salawu-Adeniyi Mustapha Olaitan as the SDP’s governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
The party argued that preserving the status quo pending the determination of the appeal would better serve the interest of justice and prevent irreversible actions that could undermine the appellate process.
The Court of Appeal is yet to fix a date for the hearing of the application.