SDP Asks Court of Appeal to Halt Judgment Recognising Osun Governorship Candidate

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja to stop the enforcement of a Federal High Court judgment that recognised Salawu-Adeniyi Mustapha Olaitan as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election.

In a Motion on Notice filed before the appellate court, the party is seeking an order staying the execution of the June 24, 2026 judgment pending the determination of its appeal. It also wants the court to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from implementing the ruling until the appeal is decided.

Court documents show that the appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1011/2026, stems from the decision delivered by Justice Mohammed Garuba Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026.

The SDP is listed as the appellant, while Olaitan, INEC, the party’s expelled National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, and its expelled National Youth Leader, Uchechukwu Chukwuma, are named as respondents. Gabam and Chukwuma are also facing criminal prosecution before a Wuse Magistrate Court.

Filed under the provisions of the Court of Appeal Act and the Court of Appeal Rules, the application asks the court to suspend the execution of the lower court’s judgment until the substantive appeal is heard and determined.

The party argued that its appeal raises significant legal questions that deserve the consideration of the appellate court. It maintained that allowing the judgment to be implemented before the appeal is concluded could fundamentally alter the issues in dispute and undermine the purpose of the appeal.

According to the SDP, any action by INEC to recognise or implement the Federal High Court’s decision could render the appeal ineffective if the appellate court eventually rules in its favour. It therefore urged the court to preserve the status quo pending the outcome of the case.

The latest filing is part of the ongoing legal dispute surrounding the SDP’s leadership and the nomination of its governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election. As of the time of filing this report, the Court of Appeal had not fixed a hearing date for the motion or ruled on the party’s request.