The Social Democratic Party on Tuesday criticised the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to appeal recent court judgments that nullified aspects of its electoral timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Chairman, Sadiq Gombe, said there was no need for the electoral umpire to challenge the rulings, arguing that the judgments would create more room for political parties and candidates to participate effectively in the electoral process.
Gombe spoke with journalists shortly after the Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting between the INEC chairman and leaders of registered political parties in Abuja.
“We were invited to today’s meeting, and we are happy with the way it went. We are confident in the ability of INEC to do the needful, as a law-abiding body, particularly under a professor of law who is a SAN. We are not doubting their confidence and commitment to the rule of law,” he said.
Reacting to INEC’s decision to appeal the judgments, the SDP chairman questioned the necessity of the move.
He said, “INEC has no right to appeal the ruling because of the timing of the election and so on. Nevertheless, to some of us, we don’t feel there is a need for it because this is something that we are sure will free political parties, give them more room to be able to prepare for the elections.
“It will also give room for campaign and other things than tighten down the electoral process whereby parties will be disenfranchised, or candidates will not be allowed to exercise their franchise after losing in other parties. They have the right. It’s within their fundamental human right, which is enshrined in our constitution.
“So I think in the first place, to some of us, we don’t feel there is any need for INEC to appeal that. But it also has the right to. But I am sure the court will do justice to it, just the way they did justice to the first suit. I’m sure we are coming up on board, particularly with the way the judiciary is up and doing these days.”
On the lingering leadership dispute within the SDP and prospects for reconciliation with the faction led by former National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, Gombe said the party remained open to reconciliation in line with its constitution.
“The party mechanism, as I told you, has its constitution. Article 19 of the Constitution says a lot about the discipline of members and reconciliation. But they have timelines. That aside, it doesn’t stop the need for any reconciliation where there is one. We are leaders.
“As a father, if his son does anything bad, you cannot say, because he’s my child, I will just discard him forever. No, if he repents and realises his mistake and tries to amend, there is nothing bad about it,” he said.
Gombe also insisted that the question of party leadership remains an internal affair of political parties and not the responsibility of INEC.
He said, “The issue of party leadership is an exclusive reserve of the political party to decide on its leadership. The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled in this respect. So it’s not about the INEC portal. INEC doesn’t determine who should be the chairman of a political party. It is the party itself.
“The party has organs that regulate its day-to-day running and so on. The National Executive Committee is the principal executing organ of the SDP, followed by the National Working Committee, which is the body responsible for the day-to-day running of the affairs of the party.”
The SDP’s position comes after INEC announced that it had filed appeals against two Federal High Court judgments that questioned aspects of its timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The first ruling, delivered on May 20 in a suit filed by the Youth Party, challenged certain timelines contained in the commission’s election schedule.
The second judgment, delivered on May 26 in a case instituted by the SDP, upheld INEC’s power to issue an electoral timetable but nullified some deadlines relating to candidate nomination and substitution.
Speaking at the consultative meeting, INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, said the commission decided to seek appellate clarification on what it described as important legal questions concerning its constitutional and statutory powers to regulate electoral activities.
According to him, the electoral timetable serves as an integrated framework guiding critical activities such as party primaries, candidate nominations, voter education, procurement of election materials and deployment of personnel, warning that altering parts of the schedule could disrupt the entire electoral process.
