The Supreme Court has reserved judgement in two separate appeals concerning leadership disputes within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). A five-member panel, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, concluded proceedings and will communicate the ruling date after final adoption of written arguments. In the ADC case, National Chairman David Mark is appealing a March 12 decision by the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his suit on grounds of incompetence. The appellate court, under Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, upheld a preliminary objection by former Deputy National Chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe, stating Mark's appeal raised issues not previously decided by the trial court. The dispute originated from a September 4, 2025 ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which denied Gombe's ex parte application for injunctive relief. Following the legal impasse, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) withdrew recognition from both the Mark and Gombe factions on April 1, citing a subsisting Court of Appeal order to maintain the status quo. INEC has refused to engage either faction until a final judicial determination is made. The Mark-led faction asserts its legitimacy based on National Executive Committee (NEC) decisions, including the July 29, 2025 ratification of a caretaker leadership and the April 14 national convention. It also cites earlier INEC recognition in September 2025 and claims constitutional authority for waiving membership requirements. The PDP appeal involves the Kabiru Turaki-led leadership challenging rulings that nullified its November 15–16, 2025 national convention in Ibadan. Those judgements favoured a faction aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. With INEC requiring all parties to conduct primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026, delays in the Supreme Court's decision raise concerns about both parties' ability to participate in the 2027 general elections.
David Mark's push for Supreme Court intervention while leading a party stripped of INEC recognition exposes a leadership paradox with no clear path to legitimacy. The April 1 withdrawal of recognition from both ADC factions means no official structure exists to conduct primaries, directly affecting members who participated in the April 14 convention under the belief of legitimacy. With the Supreme Court yet to set a judgement date, the delay threatens to disqualify the ADC and PDP from the 2027 elections, leaving their members politically stranded.
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