SDP Seeks Appeal Court Stay on Osun Candidate

The Social Democratic Party has urgent filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal in Abuja to stay the execution of a Federal High Court ruling that recognized Olaitan Salawu-Adeniyi as its 2026 Osun State governorship candidate and to restrain INEC from enforcing the judgment until the appeal is decided. The SDP contends that the FHC’s June 24 order attempted to implement a March 27 Court of Appeal ruling recognizing Shehu Gabam as national chairman, a decision it says the Supreme Court voided on May 22, 2026. It argues that enforcing a superseded decision creates judicial inconsistency and could affect the subject matter of the appeal if carried out. The party frames the move as a necessary measure to preserve the integrity of the election process amid a bitter intra-party leadership dispute over who has authority to nominate candidates. The court filings emphasize that the appeal, CA/ABJ/CV/1011/2026, stems from Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026 and seeks to prevent any impact on the SDP’s campaign structure before the substantive issues are resolved.