There have been lull in the activities of opposition political parties over the delayed judgement of the Supreme Court in the leadership tussle in the two main opposition political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The apex court had last Wednesday, reserved judgement in the appeal filed by the PDP and ADC seeking to determine the rightful leadership of the parties.
The PDP leadership is in contest between Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), and Mohammed Abdulrahman, who is backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, while Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC is challenging Senator David Mark-led leadership of the ADC.
On April 28, ADC lawyer, Shaibu Enejoh Aruwa, SAN, wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat KekereEkun, expressing worry over the delay in delivering the judgement. “My lord, this appeal was graciously heard expeditiously on the 22nd April, 2026 and judgement was thereafter reserved to a date to be communicated by the court,” Aruwa said in the letter.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed May 10 as last day for submission of electronic party membership register by all the registered political parties, to the commission, while May 30 is the last day for the conduct of party primaries nomination of parties for next year’s general elections.
The Electoral Act, 2026 has approved only two modes of party primaries for election of candidates for next year’s general elections – direct of consensus. Aruwa in his letter dated April 28, told the CJN that ADC might not field candidate in 2027 if the judgement in the ADC appeal is not delivered within the next three days from the date of this letter, which he said, would be “grave and irreversible risk” to Nigeria’s democracy.
He said: “This would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who have subscribed to the ideals of the ADC and deny them their constitutional right to freely associate and contest elections through a political party of their choice.”
ADC is yet to release its timetable and activities for conduct of primaries for the 2027 elections, while the timetable issued by Wike backed PDP was received with cynisms by aspirants. For instance, Lagos State chapter of the party rejected the timetable.
The party in a statement by chapter Chairman, Dr. Ambos Fawole, said going by “The judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on March 9, 2026, and the judgement of the FCT High Court delivered on January 12, 2026, both of which affirm the suspension and subsequent expulsion of Senator Samuel Anyanwu from the PDP.” Fawole argued that the implications of the judgement is that “Senator Anyanwu, having been validly expelled, lacks the legal competence to act in any official capacity on behalf of the PDP.”
