The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment in the consolidated appeals challenging the leadership crises rocking the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress, following a tense hearing session on Thursday where lawyers and party faithful gathered in anticipation of rulings that could reshape the nation’s opposition political landscape.
A five-member panel of justices presided over by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba heard arguments from all parties on April 22 before reserving judgment, with the court’s director of information, Dr Festus Akande, confirming that decisions would be delivered at a date to be communicated to counsel. The courtroom atmosphere was described as tense and solemn as political stakeholders gathered to witness proceedings that will determine which factions control both parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In the PDP appeal marked SC/CV/164/2026, the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led faction is seeking to overturn previous judgments of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court that nullified the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, 2025. The appellate court had earlier berated the Turaki-led PDP for defying a November 14, 2025 judgment of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, which stopped the Ibadan convention. The trial court had specifically barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from supervising, monitoring or recognising any convention held without including former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, as a contestant for the national chairmanship position.
The restraining order followed a suit filed by Lamido, a foundation member of the party, alleging he had been arbitrarily denied the chance to contest. The trial court found that Lamido had been unjustly denied a nomination form, contrary to the PDP Constitution and guidelines, and held that the party must create opportunities for members to aspire to positions. As a consequential order, Justice Lifu halted the convention to allow Lamido obtain the form, mobilise supporters and campaign.
Dissatisfied with the decision, the Turaki-led PDP filed an appeal to set it aside. However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, holding that the appellants resorted to self-help and contemptuous conduct by proceeding with the convention despite the restraining order. The appellate court ruled that the party should have sought suspension of the judgment from a higher court, rather than obtaining a favourable order from another court of coordinate jurisdiction, describing the PDP’s action as a direct affront to judicial authority and a gross abuse of court process.
Furthermore, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had in a separate judgment stopped the Turaki-led PDP from going ahead with its national convention for failing to hold valid state congresses in 14 states before the planned convention, as stipulated in the 1999 constitution and INEC guidelines, as well as its own constitution. Justice Omotosho also noted that notices for the convention were signed only by the national chairman, excluding the national secretary, rendering them a nullity. He therefore directed the party to conduct proper meetings and congresses with 21 days’ statutory notice to INEC for monitoring.
A chieftain of the PDP, Umar Sani, who was present at the Supreme Court, described the scene in a post on X as filled with anticipation. “We are all seated at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, waiting for the five-member panel that will decide the appeals involving the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress. Counsel for the different parties are arriving gradually, while the court registrar and support staff are already in place. The atmosphere is tense, solemn, and filled with anticipation as everyone quietly lifts their hands in prayer, seeking divine favor and victory,” Sani wrote. According to him, members of the faction aligned with Taminu Turaki are hopeful of a favourable outcome and were praying for the justices to deliver judgments guided by justice and the rule of law.
In the ADC case marked SC/CV/180/2026, former Senate President David Mark is challenging a March 12 Court of Appeal judgment, which he argues is against the interest of justice. Mark, who leads a faction backed by frontline opposition figures including former vice president Atiku Abubakar, 2023 presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as well as former governors Rotimi Amaechi and Rauf Aregbesola, contends that the appellate court exceeded its jurisdiction by ordering maintenance of the status quo ante bellum in a suit filed by aggrieved party members led by Nafiu-Bala Gombe. Mark argued that the dispute involves a political party’s domestic affairs, in which courts lack jurisdiction to intervene.
While adopting their brief of argument, Mark’s legal team, led by Mr Jubril Okutepa, SAN, insisted the dispute is a non-justiciable internal party matter, as previously held by the Supreme Court. However, Robert Emukpero, SAN, who represented Gombe, urged the apex court to reject the appeal and affirm the judgment of the lower court, which held that the case of the appellant was premature and dismissed it.
The Court of Appeal had earlier dismissed Mark’s appeal challenging the jurisdiction of Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to entertain the suit by Gombe against the leadership of the ADC. The appellate court in its decision held that the appeal was not only premature but was brought without leave of the trial court and ordered that the matter be returned to the trial court for expeditious hearing, adding that parties should maintain status quo ante bellum. Following this order, INEC de-recognized the Mark-led leadership from its portal and website on April 1, pending the resolution of the authentic leadership of the ADC by the court.
The urgency of the matter was underscored when the Mark-led ADC faction formally appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on April 28, seeking timely delivery of judgment. In a letter signed by its counsel, Shuaibu E. Aruwa, SAN, the party warned that any prolonged delay in the ruling could jeopardize its ability to participate in the 2027 general elections. The letter read in part: “Without the delivery of 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. This would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who have subscribed to the ideals of the ADC and deny them their constitutional right to freely associate and contest elections through a political party of their choice”.
Complicating matters further for the ADC, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, recently barred INEC from recognising or participating in any congress organised by committees appointed by the Senator Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC. The court also restrained the Mark-led group from interfering with the tenure and functions of elected state executives of the party, holding that the responsibility for conducting state congresses rests with state executive committees and not the national leadership of a political party.
All registered political parties have up until May 10 to submit their membership registers to INEC or risk being disqualified from sponsoring candidates for the 2027 general polls. This means if the Supreme Court does not deliver its verdict before that deadline, the ADC may not appear on the ballot. The ADC currently boasts of being the major opposition political party in Nigeria with the second highest number of federal legislators, having attracted prominent political heavyweights following the PDP’s protracted internal crisis.
