Supreme Court Announces When It Will Declare Final Judgement on ADC Leadership Dispute
- The Supreme Court scheduled date for judgment in the ADC leadership dispute and fixed 2pm for the delivery of its ruling
- A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba reserved judgment after hearing final arguments in the long-running political and legal battle
- The Mark-led faction had challenged earlier appellate rulings and warned that delays in judgment could affect ADC participation in the 2027 general elections
The Supreme Court has scheduled Thursday, April 30, 2026, for judgment in the long-running leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), bringing a key political and legal battle closer to resolution.
Supreme Court: Judgment scheduled for Thursday afternoon
Source: Twitter
The apex court confirmed that its decision in the matter will be delivered at 2pm on Thursday, April 30, following the conclusion of legal arguments by all parties involved, Vanguard reported.
A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, had earlier reserved judgment after listening to final submissions from both sides.
ADC: Legal battle over party leadership
The dispute centres on competing claims to the leadership of the ADC, with the Mark-led faction challenging an earlier Court of Appeal ruling that ordered parties to maintain the status quo.
The appeal argues that the appellate court exceeded its jurisdiction, with the Mark faction maintaining that the matter relates strictly to internal party affairs beyond judicial interference.
Parties divided over leadership legitimacy
The case was initiated by a group of aggrieved members led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who are contesting the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership.
Other respondents include the ADC, its National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and former party chairman Ralph Nwosu, Daily Trust reported.
The Mark-led faction has also sought an order restraining INEC from recognising any alternative leadership structure pending final determination.
ADC faction warns of electoral implications
In a letter dated Wednesday, April 28, counsel to the Mark faction, Shaibu Enejoh Aruwa, appealed for urgency in delivering judgment, warning of possible electoral consequences.
“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,” the letter stated.
The faction argued that delays could disenfranchise supporters and undermine their constitutional right to participate in elections through their preferred party.
Court urged to ensure timely justice
The letter further stressed that the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections depended on a swift ruling, citing INEC’s already released timetable for electoral activities.
It added that while the court was acknowledged to have a heavy workload, the circumstances required urgent attention to prevent what it described as “justice delayed, justice denied”.
The Supreme Court is expected to deliver its final verdict on Thursday afternoon, which may determine the direction of the ADC ahead of the next general election.
2027 election wont hold without ADC, INEC warned
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Founding National Chairman of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu, has warned that the 2027 general elections will not hold if the party is not on the ballot.
Nwosu said the ADC has already secured the required statistics and numbers to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
Source: Legit.ng
