A criminal case involving the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its former National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, has been adjourned after the court cited missing financial documents needed to continue proceedings.
The case, heard at a Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, was pushed to July 20, 2026, after the party admitted it could not present a crucial bank statement required to support its allegations.
SDP National Chairman, Prof. Sodiq Abubakar, confirmed the development while speaking to journalists after Wednesday’s hearing, explaining that the delay was linked to difficulties in obtaining official banking records.
According to him, the party had initially requested the statement directly from a Nigerian bank, but the document was not released in time for the hearing.
He explained that the party was later forced to escalate the matter by applying through the court registry to subpoena the bank, compelling it to produce the statement under legal order.
“The case has been adjourned to 20th July next month as a result of our inability to lay our hands on one of the key documents that are going to be tendered for the case, which is the bank statement,” Abubakar said.
He added that the bank explained the delay was due to the volume of records involved and internal approval processes, including clearance from headquarters before stamping and release.
Because of this, the bank reportedly requested about one week to finalize and submit the document, prompting the adjournment.
Abubakar said the court accepted the explanation and shifted the hearing date to allow the evidence to be properly presented when proceedings resume.
The case stems from allegations of financial misappropriation totaling ₦35 million against Gabam during his tenure as SDP national chairman. He was formally arraigned in May 2026 under suit number DCC/10/2026.
The next hearing is expected to focus heavily on the bank records, which prosecutors consider central to proving or dismissing the charges.
