SDP Heads to Court Over Governorship Candidate for Osun 2026

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja to pause a Federal High Court decision that named Olaitan Salawu-Adeniyi as its governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election. They want this pause while their appeal is still being looked at.

The party shared this news in a statement on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba.

The SDP also wants the appellate court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from acting on the June 24, 2026 judgment from Justice M.G. Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, until their appeal is resolved.

Documents from the party show that the appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1011/2026, comes from the judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026.

The SDP explained that the Federal High Court judgment instructed INEC to follow an earlier Court of Appeal ruling from March 27, 2026. This ruling recognized Shehu Gabam as the party’s national chairman, even though the party argues that the Supreme Court had overturned that decision on May 22, 2026.

“The Federal High Court judgment ordered INEC to enforce a Court of Appeal judgment which, according to the party, had already been set aside by the Supreme Court. The party believes the High Court’s decision is inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“The SDP is seeking an order staying the execution of the Federal High Court judgment pending the determination of its appeal, as well as an order restraining INEC from implementing the decision until the appeal is determined,” the statement read.

The party claims that the appeal raises important issues that need the Court of Appeal’s attention.

It argued that if the judgment is not paused, INEC's actions could change things related to the appeal and make it useless if the party wins later.

“The interest of justice would be better served by preserving the existing state of affairs pending the determination of the substantive appeal,” the application stated.

The SDP noted that this case came from the Osun State governorship primary involving Olaitan, Shehu Gabam, and former National Youth Leader Ogbonna Okechukwu, whom they say are not part of the party.

The respondents in the appeal include Olaitan, INEC, Gabam, and former National Youth Leader Uchechukwu Chukwuma.