The Supreme Court is set to deliver judgment today on the leadership disputes in the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, a decision that could redefine both opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ahead of the verdict, the party leaders reportedly held an emergency strategic meeting on Wednesday night where they reviewed possible outcomes of the judgment and charted the next line of action for the opposition coalition.
A political commentator, Imran Wakili, confirmed the meeting on his X handle.
“ADC leaders are currently in an emergency strategic meeting ahead of tomorrow’s Supreme Court ruling on the party’s leadership tussle. The closed door meeting is expected to review possible outcomes of the judgment and chart the next line of action for the opposition coalition which has adopted the ADC as its major political platform ahead of 2027. Notably absent from the ongoing high level consultation are Mr. Peter Obi and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,” he tweeted.
But in a new development that could further complicate the ADC crisis, a Federal High Court on Wednesday restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the ADC congresses conducted by the David Marl leadership pending the resolution of the internal disputes in the party.
Reacting to the judgment, the National Chairman, David Mark, in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, assured party members that the ADC would be on the ballot for all elections in 2027, despite ongoing legal challenges.
Speaking on Wednesday night after receiving a briefing from the party’s legal team on the Federal High Court judgment, Mark dismissed concerns over the litigation involving the party and expressed confidence in a favorable outcome.
“You do not have anything to be afraid of regarding all the litigations before the party.
“I want to assure you that we shall triumph in all the cases, and we shall be on the ballot for every election.
“We are more than prepared and ready for these cases, and we shall do everything within the ambits of the law to surmount every situation.
“In this legal battle, though I am not a lawyer, I will lead from the front, and we shall surely triumph.”
Sponsored
He said the ADC legal team had set in motion the process of appealing the judgment and applied for a stay of execution.
Reacting to the verdict, the 2023 ADC presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, along with state chairmen of the ADC, expressed their support for the ruling, stating they would not allow the hijacking of the party.
On April 22, the Supreme Court concluded hearings on the leadership disputes involving the ADC and PDP.
The five-member panel of the apex court, headed by Justice Mohammed Garba, did not announce a date for judgment after hearing arguments in separate appeals challenging earlier rulings of lower courts on the issue.
Checks by our correspondents on the official website of the apex court on Wednesday indicated that the matters listed under ‘Political Appeals’ have been added to the cause list for Thursday, April 30, 2026.
The PUNCH also confirmed that judgment in the case of the PDP, with appeal number SC/CV/166/2026, and the ADC matter, marked SC/CV/180/2026, has been fixed for 2pm.
The electoral commission earlier set May 10 as the deadline for political parties to submit their membership registers.
It also scheduled the presidential and national assembly elections for Saturday, January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections are fixed for Saturday, February 6, 2027.
According to the timetable, party primaries and the resolution of related disputes will run from April 23, 2026, to May 30, 2026.
Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections are expected to commence on August 19, 2026, while campaigns for governorship and state assembly elections are slated to begin on September 9, 2026.
.....