The Supreme Court of Nigeria will on Tuesday hear separate appeals arising from leadership disputes in two opposition parties, the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
The appeal by embattled ADC National Chairman, David Mark, is slated for hearing alongside that of the Governor Seyi Makinde-backed factional leadership of the PDP, led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN), both challenging judgments of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
The PDP crisis is headed for judicial resolution at the apex court, as the Turaki-led faction is challenging the appellate court decision, which nullified its national convention and leadership structure.
The faction had insisted that the judgment, if allowed to stand, would destabilise the party and had, therefore, approached the Supreme Court for a final determination of the dispute.
Mark, a former Senate President, is seeking an order to stay the execution of the March 12 appellate court judgment affecting the leadership of the ADC, pending the determination of his appeal.
A hearing notice in Appeal No: SC/CV/180/2026, between Mark and Nafiu-Bala Gombe and four others, is fixed for April 14 for the proceeding. The notice, issued through the litigation department of the apex court, was sighted in Abuja.
The notice, issued through the litigation department of the apex court, was sighted in Abuja on Sunday.
The date coincides with an earlier hearing scheduled before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in a related matter.
However, the lower court may step down its proceedings in deference to the apex court, in line with the hierarchy of courts.
In the appeal, Mark listed Gombe, the ADC, Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and former ADC national chairman, Ralph Nwosu as 1st to 5th respondents.
Through his lawyer, Realwan Okpanachi, Mark is asking the court to stay execution of the appellate court’s judgment and restrain INEC from recognising any person other than him and the current national officers of the party, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
He also sought an order restraining INEC from tampering with the party’s leadership structure as presently constituted under him, as well as an order staying further proceedings in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 before Justice Nwite pending the determination of the appeal.
The application, filed pursuant to constitutional provisions and the Supreme Court Rules, is supported by 12 grounds.
Okpanachi stated that the Court of Appeal, in its March 12 judgment in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/145/2026, directed parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum.
He alleged that Gombe had relied on the order to write to INEC, urging the commission not to recognise Mark and other national officers of the ADC, describing the move as an attempt to enforce the judgment.
According to him, Mark filed a notice of appeal on March 16, while the record of appeal was transmitted on March 31 and duly entered before the apex court.
“Unless this application is granted, the judgment of the Court of Appeal will be enforced and the appeal rendered nugatory,” the lawyer argued, adding that the appeal raised substantial issues of law and that the balance of justice favours granting the application.
Confirming the development to our correspondent, the spokesperson for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said both the Supreme Court matter and the related case before the Federal High Court were slated for the same day.
“Yes. The information I have is that they are scheduled on the same day. I don’t know if it’s the same time, but it’s the same day,” he said.
