The Supreme Court of Nigeria is set to hear separate appeals on Tuesday arising from ongoing leadership crises in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The matters before the apex court include an appeal filed by embattled ADC National Chairman, David Mark, as well as another involving a PDP faction backed by Governor Seyi Makinde and led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN). Both appeals are challenging earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal.
The PDP dispute centres on the validity of a national convention and the party’s leadership structure, which was previously nullified by the appellate court. The faction is urging the Supreme Court to overturn the decision, warning that it could destabilise the party if left in place.
In the ADC case, Mark is seeking to suspend the execution of a March 12 Court of Appeal judgment that affected the party’s leadership, while also asking the court to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising any leadership other than his faction pending the outcome of the appeal.
Court filings show that the dispute involves multiple parties, including INEC and other senior political figures, with arguments centred on the legality of party leadership arrangements and internal constitutional compliance.
The ADC has also confirmed that related hearings before both the Supreme Court and a Federal High Court are scheduled for the same day, as the legal battle over the party’s leadership structure continues.
