The Supreme Court has scheduled April 22, 2026, for the hearing of an appeal filed by a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President, David Mark, over the party’s ongoing leadership crisis.
Gatekeepers News reports that the apex court granted an accelerated hearing of the case and directed the Mark-led faction to file and serve all necessary legal documents within 24 hours.
Respondents were given three days to reply, while the appellants have one day to respond, with all filings expected to be completed before April 20.
During the proceedings, the faction’s counsel, Jibril Okutepa, withdrew an earlier application seeking to halt the execution of a Court of Appeal judgment, stating it had become unnecessary following the court’s decision to fast-track the substantive appeal.
The dispute stems from a leadership tussle within the ADC after Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman, challenged the legitimacy of the Mark-led executive. Bala insists he should lead the party in line with its constitution, leading to multiple court cases.
Earlier rulings by the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal had ordered parties to maintain the status quo, while I Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) subsequently withdrew recognition of both factions pending the resolution of the crisis.
