… Fixes April 22 for definite hearings of appeals
The Supreme Court on Tuesday, granted accelerated hearing of appeals arising from the protracted legal battle that have destabilised the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its sister’s African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The Apex Court drastically abridged timelines for all parties in the disputes to file their papers and it fixed April 22, 2026, for a definite hearing as it waves rules that would have delay it from hearing the appeals, in the interest of democracy.
Justice Lawal Garba, who presided over a five-member panel, announced this and held in his ruling that the court was persuaded by the affidavit of extreme urgency and submissions of counsel.
At the hearing of PDP appeal , lead counsel to the appellant, Chris Uche, SAN, moved a motion urging the apex court to fast-track the matter, citing its urgency and the far-reaching implications of the dispute on the party’s leadership structure.
He informed the court that a motion on notice, supported by an affidavit of extreme urgency, had been duly filed to justify the request.
In a related appeal brought by faction led by PDP national Secretary, it’s counsel Paul Erukoro, SAN, also applied for accelerated hearing. The respondents did not oppose the application but sought five days to file their response.
The court also granted the request as prayed and directed that all necessary processes be filed within five days, ahead of the April 22 hearing date.
Earlier, in his response to the principal application, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, who represented the faction loyal to Nyesom Wike did not oppose the motion but raised procedural concerns, noting that his team had only been served three days earlier.
He submitted that while 15 days would ordinarily be required to respond, they could reasonably reply within 10 days, given the circumstances.
Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kingsley Magbin aligned with the position, requesting 10 days to file a response.
Similarly, E.R. Gold, representing the 6th respondent, asked for a 10-day window, while Audu Anuga, SAN, counsel to the 8th and 9th respondents, did not oppose the application.
All the respondents, with the exception of Abdulrahman Mohammed, the PDP chairman backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, did not object to the request.
Mohammed was not in court, nor was he represented by any lawyer.
Justice Lawal Garba’s led five man panel of the Apex Court , ruled that the court was persuaded by the affidavit of extreme urgency and submissions of counsel.
It unanimously said “We find it expedient to grant these requests”
The court also ordered all respondents to file their processes within five days, with an additional two days allowed for replies where necessary.
It further directed that all filings must be completed on or before April 21, 2026.
The matter was thereafter adjourned to April 22, 2026, for hearing.
In a separate but related matter involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), counsel to the party, J.S. Okutepa, SAN, sought an abridgement of time.
The court, in line with its earlier stance, granted accelerated hearing and equally adjourned the case to April 22.
The apex court fixed April 22 for hearing of an appeal filed by the David Mark-led faction against Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman of the party.
In the appeal marked SC/CV/180/2026, the ex-Senate President is asking the court to grant an order staying the execution of the Court of Appeal’s ruling delivered on March 12.
Mark’s appeal is against the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed the ex-Senate President’s appeal in relation to the ongoing leadership dispute in the party.
Mark had appealed a September 4, 2025 ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja that refused to grant some injunctive reliefs contained in an ex-parte application filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a chieftain of the party.
In its judgment in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/145/2026, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, upheld the objection raised by Gombe, through his team of lawyers led by Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), that the appeal was incompetent and that it was based on issues not reflected in the ruling of the trial court.
Also recall that, the Turaki faction has approached the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the Wike-aligned group from conducting its planned national convention, originally scheduled for March 29 and 30, 2026.
The appeal challenges the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which upheld earlier decisions of the Federal High Court nullifying the PDP national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025.
The appellants contend that both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction over what they described as the internal affairs of a political party, arguing that such matters are non-justiciable.
Earlier, the Federal High Court had, in separate judgments delivered by Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu, restrained the conduct of the Ibadan convention, citing non-compliance with constitutional provisions and party guidelines, as well as the exclusion of key stakeholders from the process.
Despite the subsisting orders, the PDP National Working Committee proceeded with the convention, producing Kabiru Turaki as national chairman of a faction of the party.
In response, the Wike-aligned bloc rejected the outcome and constituted parallel party structures, further deepening the crisis.
On March 9, the Court of Appeal affirmed the decisions of the lower court, dismissing the PDP’s challenge to the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
Dissatisfied, the Turaki-led faction filed an appeal at the Supreme Court on five grounds, seeking to overturn the appellate court’s ruling and secure a stay of execution of the judgments.
With the apex court now fast-tracking proceedings, attention has shifted to April 22, when a decisive pronouncement is expected on the legitimacy of the contending factions and the future leadership of the opposition party.