The Supreme Court has scheduled a joint hearing for two high‑profile party disputes on 22 April 2026. In the Peoples Democratic Party, a faction headed by Kabiru Turaki is challenging a lower‑court ruling that nullified the party's Ibadan national convention held on 15‑16 November 2025. Justice Lawal Garba will chair a five‑member panel that granted the Turaki group an accelerated hearing and shortened the time for filing briefs. Turaki's counsel, Chris Uche, warned that the matter is urgent because of the Independent National Electoral Commission's timetable for the 2027 general elections. The court also ordered that notice be served on Mohammed Abdulrahman, the seventh respondent who failed to appear, and directed all nine respondents to file replies within five days, rejecting a request by Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) for a 15‑day extension.
The second PDP appeal pits the Turaki faction against former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido and others over Lamido's exclusion from the national chairmanship contest. The Supreme Court likewise set an accelerated hearing for 22 April. Lower courts had previously halted the convention, barred INEC from recognising its outcomes and restricted access to the party secretariat.
Separately, the court fixed the same date for the African Democratic Congress dispute involving factional national chairman David Mark. Mark is appealing a 12 March 2026 Court of Appeal decision that dismissed his challenge to a 4 September 2025 Federal High Court ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite, which refused injunctive relief sought by party chieftain Nafiu Bala Gombe. Justice Mohammed Garba will lead the panel, ordering Mark's lawyer Jibril Okutepa (SAN) to file an appellant brief and the respondents to serve theirs within three days, with a one‑day window for a reply brief.
The ADC case stems from Bala's September 2025 application to restrain INEC from recognising Mark‑led executives, claiming he never resigned as vice‑chairman and should assume leadership after Ralp Nwosu's exit. The Court of Appeal found Mark's appeal incompetent and sent the parties back to the trial court, while INEC announced on 1 April that it will not recognise either faction or engage with them.
Justice Lawal Garba's decision to fast‑track the PDP and ADC disputes signals the Supreme Court's readiness to intervene directly in intra‑party battles as the 2027 elections approach. By compressing briefing schedules, the apex court is effectively prioritising these internal crises over routine docket matters.
The hearings come at a time when both parties are locked in leadership tussles that have already prompted lower courts to nullify conventions, bar INEC recognition and restrict access to party headquarters. INEC's own April 1 statement refusing to engage with any faction underscores the electoral commission's frustration with unresolved party structures, a situation that could complicate voter registration and candidate accreditation.
For ordinary Nigerians, prolonged legal wrangling may translate into uncertainty over ballot papers, delayed candidate listings and a perception that political parties are more preoccupied with internal power struggles than national governance. V
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