Supreme Court to rule today on ADC leadership tussle after party warned of 2027 election risk

The Supreme Court will deliver judgment Thursday at 2 p.m. in the leadership dispute splitting the African Democratic Congress, ADC, after the party warned that delay could shut it out of the 2027 general elections.

A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba had earlier reserved judgment after adopting final addresses. The court announced Wednesday that the ruling will be read April 30.

The case stems from a March 12 Court of Appeal decision ordering parties to maintain status quo in the ADC crisis. David Mark, former Senate President, is challenging that ruling. He argues the appellate court overreached and that the fight is an internal party matter outside the courts’ jurisdiction.

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Mark’s faction is asking the apex court to stop INEC from recognising any rival leadership pending the appeal’s outcome.

The suit was filed by aggrieved members led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, who dispute the legitimacy of Mark’s leadership. Other respondents include the ADC, National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, INEC, and former chairman Ralph Nwosu.

The respondents want the appeal dismissed, insisting the lower court was right to hear the case.

In an April 28 letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, ADC counsel Shaibu Enejoh Aruwa said the party risks “grave and irreversible” exclusion from the 2027 polls if judgment is delayed.

He said INEC, acting on the lower court’s decision, had already de-recognised the ADC leadership, leaving the party “without leadership at the moment” despite being a registered party.

“My Lord, 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,” the letter read.

Aruwa attached INEC’s press release de-recognising the ADC leadership and the revised 2027 election timetable, noting that election activities had already begun.

“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,” he wrote.

“This 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.”

He added: “We are mindful of the enormous responsibilities and workload of this Honourable Court. We are equally aware that justice delayed, in this peculiar circumstance, would amount to justice denied. The entire political future of our client and the legitimate expectations of its members nationwide now hangs in the balance.”