S/Court dismisses INEC’s appeal against SDP, with N2m cost

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) challenging the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), for lacking in merit.

The electoral body had, through its legal team specifically, sought to set aside the October 17 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld an order that compelled it to include SDP candidates in by-elections that were conducted across 12 states of the federation.

INEC faulted the appellant court for affirming the judgment of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1525/2025, which was instituted against it by the SDP.

SDP had, in the suit, challenged the refusal of INEC to recognise its candidates for the by-elections, after they emerged through primaries that were monitored by the electoral body. On its part, INEC contended that letters and notices that were sent to it, on behalf of the party, were invalid.

According to the Commission, the correspondences were signed by the acting National Chairman of SDP, Dr Sadiq Umar Abubakar, and the National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye. It noted that the duo were previously suspended by the party.

It was INEC’s position that internal party suspensions invalidated all the letters that Dr Abubakar and Dr Agunloye signed, including the nomination of candidates for the by-elections.

Meanwhile, following SDP’s legal action, the high court ordered that all its candidates should be recognised and included in the ballot.

Even though INEC complied with the high court order, it, however, took the matter before the appellate court.

In a unanimous decision, a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Adebukola Banjoko dismissed the appeal and upheld the high court verdict.

Not happy with the outcome, INEC lodged the appeal, which the Supreme Court also dismissed yesterday.

In a unanimous judgment, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court declared that the appeal had turned into an academic exercise, noting that elections had since been held with all the winners sworn in.