Court Adjourns SDP Fraud Case Against Ex-Chairman Over Missing Bank Evidence

(National chairman, Shehu Gabam. Photo by The African Gong)

National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Prof. Sodiq Abubakar, has explained why a Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, adjourned the party’s criminal case against its former national chairman, Shehu Gabam, to July 20, 2026.

Speaking to a journalist after Wednesday’s hearing, Abubakar explained that the adjournment was due to the party’s inability to provide a key piece of evidence required for the case.

He disclosed that the party’s leadership had applied to a Nigerian bank for a statement, which had yet to be supplied, prompting the party to approach the court registry to subpoena the bank to produce the document within a week.

According to him, the case was pushed back to next month largely because the bank statement, one of the key documents to be tendered, could not be obtained in time.

He explained that the party had initially applied directly to the bank, but the request was unsuccessful, which led them to seek the court’s intervention by subpoenaing the bank to produce the document itself.

He noted that the bank cited the bulkiness of the document, explaining that it would need time to compile, stamp, and obtain headquarters approval before it could be released, requesting an additional week to fulfil the request.

He explained that the court was duly informed of the situation and subsequently set the new date, with the matter now adjourned to July 20 for continuation of hearing.

It would be recalled that Gabam was arraigned in May 2026 in a suit numbered DCC/10/2026, over allegations of financial misappropriation amounting to ₦35 million during his tenure as the party’s national chairman.