Supreme Court Reserves Judgment on David Mark's ADC Appeal

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment on an appeal filed by David Mark concerning the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The five-member panel, led by Justice Garba, will announce the judgment date later.

Mark's counsel, Jibrin Okutepa, urged the court to allow the appeal, arguing that the apex court had previously settled the issue in a March 21, 2025 judgment, which stated that no court has jurisdiction to entertain cases related to the internal affairs of political parties. However, opposing counsel Nafiu Gomb and Robert Emukpero requested the court to dismiss the appeal, asserting that Mark's case was premature.

The earlier court had dismissed Mark's challenge regarding the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Abuja, with Justice Emeka Nwite describing the appeal as premature and filed without leave from the trial court. The appellate court subsequently directed that the case be returned to the trial court for accelerated hearing while maintaining the status quo regarding the ADC leadership.