SDP faults INEC’s move to challenge court judgments on election timetable

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for deciding to appeal court rulings that struck out parts of its timetable for the 2027 general elections.

Speaking after a meeting between INEC and leaders of registered political parties in Abuja on Tuesday, SDP National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, said the commission should not challenge the judgments because they would give political parties and candidates more time to prepare for elections.

Gombe said, “INEC has no right to appeal the ruling because of the timing of the election and so on.”

He added that the judgments would create more opportunities for campaigns and allow candidates who lost party primaries to still exercise their political rights.

While insisting that INEC was free to pursue the appeal, he said, “We don’t feel there is any need for INEC to appeal that. But it also has the right to.”

On the party’s leadership crisis, Gombe said the SDP remained open to reconciliation with members of the rival faction led by former National Chairman Shehu Musa Gabam.

According to him, the party’s constitution provides room for discipline and reconciliation.

Gombe also maintained that leadership disputes are internal matters for political parties and not for INEC to decide. He said, “INEC doesn’t determine who should be the chairman of a political party. It is the party itself.”

His comments came after INEC announced it had appealed two Federal High Court judgments that questioned aspects of its 2027 election timetable.

The electoral body said it was seeking clarification on important legal issues, warning that changes to the timetable could affect the smooth planning and conduct of elections.