The Supreme Court of Nigeria has fixed April 22 for the hearing of an appeal stemming from the ongoing leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The appeal was filed by the party’s National Chairman and former Senate President, David Mark, who is challenging earlier court rulings linked to the dispute.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, fixed the hearing date on Tuesday after granting an accelerated hearing in the case marked SC/CV/180/2026.
The appeal arises from the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal Nigeria, which dismissed Mark’s earlier appeal contesting a September 4, 2025 ruling of the Federal High Court Nigeria sitting in Abuja.
In that earlier decision, Justice Emeka Nwite declined to grant an injunction sought through an ex parte application filed by ADC chieftain, Nafiu Bala Gombe.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, the Supreme Court directed Mark’s counsel, Jibril Okutepa, to file and serve the appellant’s brief within a shortened timeframe, in line with the accelerated hearing granted.
The court also ordered the respondents to file their briefs within three days of receiving the appellant’s submission, while the appellant is to submit a reply, if necessary, within one day after service of the respondents’ processes.
The dispute, which has triggered multiple litigations, centres on the control and leadership structure of the ADC, with rival factions laying claim to the party’s leadership, particularly the position of National Chairman.
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