ADC, PDP: Supreme Court fixes April 22 for hearing
The Supreme Court will on April 22 hear crucial appeals arising from the festering leadership crises in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The outcome
The Supreme Court will on April 22 hear crucial appeals arising from the festering leadership crises in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The outcome at the apex court will reshape the internal dynamics of both opposition parties.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, fixed the date yesterday while granting applications for accelerated hearing in all three appeals before it.
The appeals include two filed by the Kabiru Turaki-led group of the PDP and another by a factional National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark.
In granting expedited proceedings, the court approved a departure from its standard rules and abridged the time for filing of briefs by parties.
For the two PDP appeals – marked SC/CV/166/2026 and SC/CV/164/2026 – the court ordered respondents to file their briefs within five days, while the appellants are to file reply briefs, if any, within two days.
The ruling followed motions argued by counsel to the appellants, Chris Uche (SAN) and Paul Erokoro (SAN).
The Turaki-led group is challenging the March 9 judgments of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed earlier decisions of the Federal High Court in Abuja restraining the PDP from holding its planned national convention of November 15 and 16, last year.
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The lower court had ruled that the party must first comply with relevant statutory provisions, including the Electoral Act and the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
Those judgments were delivered by Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu in suits filed by aggrieved PDP members, among them former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.
Yesterday proceedings drew prominent political figures, including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Kabiru Turaki, former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, Lamido, and PDP chieftain Taofeek Arapaja.
Their presence underscored the high stakes involved in the dispute, which centres on control of party structures and compliance with electoral regulations ahead of future polls.
ADC appeal also slated
The court also fixed April 22 for hearing in the appeal filed by Senator David Mark, marked SC/CV/180/2026, arising from the leadership tussle within the ADC.
It directed Mark to file and serve his brief by today, while respondents are to file theirs within three days of service.
The appellant is to file a reply, if necessary, within one day thereafter.
The court granted an accelerated hearing after Mark’s counsel, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), made an oral application, citing the urgency of the matter.
Following the court’s indication of readiness to hear the appeal promptly, Okutepa withdrew a pending application seeking to stay execution of the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal.
The application was subsequently struck out.
Mark’s appeal challenges the March 12 decision of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his earlier appeal in the ongoing leadership dispute within the ADC.
He had initially appealed a September 4, last year ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which declined to grant interim injunctive reliefs sought in an ex-parte application filed by party chieftain, Nafiu Bala Gombe.
In its decision, the Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered by a panel led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, upheld a preliminary objection by Gombe’s legal team, led by Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), and held that Mark’s appeal was incompetent as it raised issues not arising from the trial court’s ruling.
A related judgment earlier scheduled for yesterday at the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit filed by House of Representatives member, Leke Abejide, has been adjourned to April 27.
Parties were informed in court that the trial judge was unavailable.
In the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025), Abejide is seeking, among other reliefs, the removal of Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC.
