By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Supreme Court of Nigeria will, on Thursday, April 30 ,2026, deliver judgments on the appeals filed by factions of the African Democratic Congress ADC and the Peoples Democratic party PDP.
The Source reports that the Apex Court had, on Wednesday April 22, 2026,
ruled to reserve its verdict on the appeals filed by the Senator David Mark-led factional ADC leadership, and the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP NEC for a date to be communicated to all parties.
The Mark-led ADC leadership had filed an appeal challenging the Court of Appeal verdict ordering parties in the festering leadership tussle bedeviling the party to return to the trial court for the continuation of proceedings in a motion on notice filed by the Bala Nafiu Gombe-faction of the party, disputing the Mark-led NEC.
Senator Mark, in the appeal, also prayed the court for an order of stay of execution of the Appallate court’s ruling ordering parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by Nafiu Gombe before Honourable Justice Emeka Nwite of an Abuja Federal High Court.
It similarly asked the court to set aside the March 12, Court of Appeal judgment ,and order the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to restore recognition for its leadership.
In the same vein, the Turaki-led PDP had filed an application challenging the Court of Appeal judgment of March 9, 2026, affirming the trial court’s ruling nullifying the Ibadan National Convention of the party, as well as recognizing the Nyesom Wike-backed Abdulraham Mohammed-led PDP NWC.
In the appeal, the Turaki-led faction prayed the Supreme Court to set aside the Appellate Court ruling of March 9 nullifying its November 14 and 15, 2025, Ibadan Convention, and an order mandating the INEC to recognize it as the authentic national leadership of the party.
The judgment of the five-member panel of Supreme court justices headed by Justice Mohammed Garba is being perceived as holding much for the two parties, particularly the ADC which leadership was on Wednesday April 1, derecognised by the INEC.
The withdrawal of recognition for the Mark-led ADC leadership has severely disrupted its preparations for the 2027 polls, as the electoral umpire has seized all form of correspondences with it.
The schedule of the judgment date is coming barely 24 hours after the Mark-led ADC leadership had petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, demanding an expedited ruling of the appeal before the apex court.
In the letter written by its counsel Shaibu Enejo Aruwa, SAN, dated April 28, 2026, the ADC had expressed serious concern that any further delay in the apex court’s delivery of its ruling could jeopardize the chances of the party.participating in the 2027 elections.
In the letter addressed to the CJN, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the ADC called for a timely delivery of the verdict to enable the party work towards meeting the INEC’s dateline for political parties to file necessary documents ahead of the 2027 polls.
“We are most respectfully constrained to request for my lord’s kind intervention and directive in ensuring that the judgment is rendered timeously.
“Without the delivery of the judgment within the next three days from the date of this letter ,the ADC stands the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from participating in the 2027 General Elections” the ADC letter stated .
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