The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved judgement in appeals arising from the protracted leadership crises in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
- +Opposition parties risk 2027 election exclusion as court ruling drags
A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, said the date for the judgements would be communicated to all parties after counsel adopted their briefs of argument.
A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, said the date for the judgements would be communicated to all parties after counsel adopted their briefs of argument.
In the ADC matter, the appeal (SC/CV/180/2026) was filed by the party’s National Chairman, David Mark, challenging the March 12 judgement of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his case over alleged incompetence.
Mark is seeking an order of the apex court to stay execution of the appellate court’s ruling.
The Court of Appeal panel, headed by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, had upheld a preliminary objection by a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe, holding that Mark’s appeal was incompetent as it raised issues not contained in the decision of the trial court.
The dispute traces back to a September 4, 2025 ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which declined to grant injunctive relief sought in an ex parte application filed by Gombe.
The lingering crisis has left the ADC without a recognised national leadership, following the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision on April 1 to withdraw recognition from both the Mark and Gombe-led factions.
The commission cited a subsisting Court of Appeal order maintaining the status quo ante bellum and said it would refrain from engaging either faction pending a final judicial determination.
The development has raised concerns about the party’s readiness for the 2027 general elections.
The Mark-led faction, however, maintains that it emerged through due process, relying on decisions of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), including the July 29, 2025 ratification of a caretaker leadership.
It argues that provisions of the ADC constitution empower the NEC to manage party affairs, implement convention resolutions and create interim structures where necessary.
The faction also contends that membership eligibility requirements were validly waived through NEC resolutions to accommodate coalition arrangements, adding that its earlier recognition by INEC in September 2025, as well as its conduct of congresses and the April 14 national convention, affirm its legitimacy.
Meanwhile, the PDP appeal stems from a separate leadership tussle involving the Kabiru Turaki-led executive, which is contesting concurrent judgements of two high courts and the Court of Appeal that nullified its November 15–16, 2025 national convention in Ibadan.
The rulings favoured a rival faction aligned with Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
BusinessDay reports that the Supreme Court’s pending decision in both matters is expected to have significant implications for the internal stability of the parties and the broader opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.
Stakeholders worry that the two parties may not field candidates for the 2027 elections if the apex court does not deliver its judgement in the two matters on time.
This is sequel to the fact that INEC has mandated all parties to conduct their primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026 ahead of the 2027 polls.
