The Supreme Court of Nigeria has fixed Thursday, April 30, to deliver judgment in the protracted leadership dispute rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The apex court announced on Wednesday that the judgment would be delivered by 2pm, following the adoption of final written addresses by parties in the suit.
A five-member panel led by Mohammed Garba had earlier reserved judgment after hearing arguments from counsel.
The appeal was filed by former Senate President, David Mark, who leads a faction of the party.
He is challenging the March 12 ruling of the Court of Appeal, which directed parties to maintain the status quo in the leadership tussle.
In his appeal, Mark argued that the appellate court overstepped its bounds, insisting that the dispute is an internal party matter.
“The crisis borders on internal party affairs, which courts lack the powers to adjudicate,” he argued.
The suit was instituted by aggrieved party members led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who are contesting the legitimacy of the Mark-led leadership.
Other respondents include the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and a former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
Mark is also seeking an order restraining INEC from recognising any leadership other than his faction pending the determination of the appeal.
However, the respondents urged the apex court to dismiss the case, maintaining that the lower court was properly seized of the matter.
Ahead of the judgment, the Mark-led faction wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, warning that delay could jeopardise the party’s participation in the 2027 general elections.
“My Lord, this appeal was graciously heard expeditiously on the 22nd April, 2026 and judgment was thereafter reserved to a date to be communicated by the court,” the letter read.
It added, “the ADC’s ability to comply with statutory requirements to participate in the 2027 General Elections is wholly dependent on the timely delivery of the judgment in the instant appeal.”
The faction warned that “without the delivery of judgment within the next three days… the ADC stands the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from participating in the 2027 General Elections.”
It further stated that such a development 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.”
The letter stressed the urgency of the matter, noting that “justice delayed, in this peculiar circumstance, would amount to justice denied,” adding that “the entire political future of our client and the legitimate expectations of its members nationwide now hangs in the balance.”
The court’s verdict is expected to determine the leadership structure of the ADC ahead of the 2027 elections.