Court Adjourns SDP Fraud Case to August 17 as Chairman Expresses Confidence in Prosecution

The alleged financial crime case involving some former officials of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was on Monday adjourned to August 17, 2026, after the court was unable to sit due to unforeseen circumstances.

National Chairman of the party, Prof. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe, who spoke with journalists after arriving at the court, said both parties agreed on a new hearing date after the court announced it would not be sitting.

“Today is the 20th of July, 2026. We came to court early enough. Unfortunately, the court announced that it was not sitting due to unforeseen circumstances and apologised. We have now taken August 17 as the next adjourned date for the prosecution of the accused to continue,” Gombe said.

He dismissed suggestions that the case had suffered undue delays, insisting that the prosecution had consistently appeared in court since proceedings commenced.

According to him, officials of Zenith Bank also attended Monday’s sitting with the bank statement requested by the court but had to leave with the document because the matter could not proceed.

“As a matter of fact, there wasn’t a time the court did not sit from the commencement of this case until today. We have always been present in court with our lawyers. Even Zenith Bank officials came with the requested statement of account, but because the court was not sitting, they had to leave with the document and returned on the next adjourned date,” he said.

Gombe maintained that the prosecution had assembled substantial evidence to support allegations of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, malfeasance and other financial offences against the defendants.

He described the party’s Zenith Bank statement of account as one of the key pieces of evidence expected to be tendered before the court at the next hearing.

“We have done our part by ensuring that all necessary evidence is available. One of the most important pieces of evidence is the Zenith Bank statement of account, which we intend to tender. We remain hopeful that on the next adjourned date, the court will receive the document and other witnesses,” he said.

The SDP chairman further alleged that a review of the party’s 2024 bank records uncovered suspicious transactions, claiming that one individual, who was neither the party’s treasurer nor a contractor, received multiple payments throughout the year.

“If you examine the 2024 statement of account, you will discover that one individual received payments 75 times within a single year. On average, that amounts to about five payments every month. In some instances, three or four payments were made to the same person in one day, despite the fact that he was neither a contractor nor a treasurer but merely a youth leader. It is astonishing,” he alleged.

He said the current leadership of the party was committed to restoring accountability and transparency within the SDP, arguing that credible leadership in political parties was essential to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.

Gombe also urged the judiciary to ensure the speedy conclusion of politically related criminal cases ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Our prayer is that the judiciary will continue to do the needful by concluding these cases so that criminal elements within the political process are identified and held accountable. That will serve as a deterrent and strengthen our democratic institutions,” he said.

The SDP chairman also addressed the party’s leadership dispute, dismissing claims that former National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, had been reinstated.

He insisted that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) lawfully suspended and subsequently expelled Gabam, maintaining that leadership decisions remained the exclusive internal affairs of political parties.

“INEC does not determine who leads a political party, neither do the courts. On March 9, 2026, our National Executive Committee, which is the highest administrative organ of the party, suspended and subsequently expelled Shehu Musa Gabam and another official. That decision stands,” Gombe said.

He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission monitored the NEC meeting and subsequently certified that it complied with the Electoral Act, the SDP constitution and INEC guidelines.

Expressing confidence in the judicial process, Gombe said the ongoing legal proceedings would not affect the party’s leadership structure, adding that the SDP remained focused on strengthening its internal governance and positioning itself ahead of the 2027 elections.