UPDATED: Supreme Court to rule on ADC, PDP appeals

The Supreme Court will on Thursday (tomorrow), 30 April, deliver judgements in two political appeals rearding leadership disputes in the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.

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The cases are listed on the court’s website under political appeals. The ADC case, marked SC/CV/180/2026, is scheduled for 2 p.m. The time for the PDP appeal is not indicated.

The ADC case stems from a leadership crisis between former Senate President David Mark and a rival group led by Nafiu Bala Gombe. Mr Mark is contesting a 12 March ruling of the Court of Appeal, which directed parties to maintain the status quo.

He argued that the appellate court acted outside its powers and said the dispute is an internal party matter.

The respondents, including the ADC, its national secretary Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and former national chairperson Ralph Nwosu, urged the court to dismiss the appeal. They said the Court of Appeal acted within its jurisdiction.

A five-member panel led by Mohammed Garba heard both the ADC and PDP cases on 22 April and reserved judgements.

On 28 April, lawyers to the ADC wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, requesting that judgement be delivered within three days.

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In the letter, S. E. Aruwa (SAN) & Co. warned that any delay could affect the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections. The lawyers also raised concerns about steps taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which they said relied on a lower court ruling to withdraw recognition of the party’s leadership.

They said the development had left the ADC without a recognised leadership, although it remains a registered party.

The lawyers tied their request to INEC’s electoral timetable. They argued that the party’s ability to meet legal requirements for the elections depends on the outcome of the appeal.

They added that delay could expose the party to the risk of exclusion from the polls and affect its supporters.

PDP appeal

The PDP appeal was filed by a faction led by Kabir Tanimu Turaki, challenging a Court of Appeal judgement delivered on 9 March in Abuja.

The appellate court upheld earlier rulings of the Federal High Court, which invalidated the party’s convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, from 15 to 16 November last year.

The lower courts held that the convention, which produced Mr Turaki and other party executives, was illegal and barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising its outcomes.

ALSO READ: Court bars INEC from recognising ADC caretaker congresses, restrains David Mark, others

The decisions favoured a rival faction aligned with the Minster of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, which was subsequently recognised by INEC.

Dissatisfied with the rulings, the Turaki-led faction filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the decisions of the lower courts.

The Supreme Court granted an accelerated hearing of the case on 14 April and heard arguments on 22 April.

A five-member panel led by Mohammed Garba reserved judgement and said the date would be communicated to the parties.

It is expected that the judgements on the leadership crises will clear the uncertainties about the future of both parties, especially the ADC which has no leadership in place based on a Court of Appeal decision, as the preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.