According to a report by The Nation on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved its judgment in the leadership disputes involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The decision follows a high-stakes session where a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Garba Mohammed, heard arguments and cross-appeals from the various warring factions. While the court stated that a date for the final verdict would be communicated to the parties, the lack of a specific timeline has sparked tension within the political landscape.
The legal battle within the PDP has already seen significant shifts following earlier judicial interventions.
Previous rulings successfully nullified the Ibadan convention, which had produced Kabiru Turaki as the National Chairman.
As it stands, the faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, remains in control. This group currently enjoys official recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), providing the party with a temporary sense of administrative stability.
The situation is considerably more precarious for the ADC, which is currently fractured into three distinct camps led by David Mark, Nafiu Bala Gombe and Ogga Temitope.
Unlike the PDP, none of these factions have received official recognition from INEC. This internal deadlock has placed the party’s future in jeopardy as the 2027 electoral cycle approaches.
The Supreme Court’s silence on a judgment date comes at a critical moment. INEC has set a strict deadline of May 10, 2026, for all registered political parties to submit their updated membership registers.
Parties that fail to submit their registers by this date will be disqualified from fielding candidates in the 2027 General Elections.
For the ADC, the absence of a recognized leadership means they cannot legally validate or submit a membership register. If the Supreme Court does not deliver a ruling before the May 10 cutoff, the ADC faces the very real possibility of being excluded from the 2027 ballot entirely.