The Supreme Court has restored David Mark -led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) party in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel headed by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba.

The apex court in its judgement delivered today, held that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal acted beyond its jurisdiction by unilaterally issuing such an order after it had already dismissed a case that was brought before it by one of the factions.

“Giving such an order in an appeal it had already dismissed was unnecessary, unwarranted and improper,” the Supreme Court held.

It held that the appeal that was filed before it by Senator David Mark succeeded in part, even as it dismissed the aspect that challenged an ex parte order the Federal High Court made for service of processes in the suit filed by aggrieved members of the party.

It held that the appeal that was filed before it by Senator David Mark succeeded in part, even as it dismissed the aspect that challenged an ex parte order the Federal High Court made for service of processes in the suit filed by aggrieved members of the party.

The apex court directed the factions to return to the trial court for continuation of hearing of the case.

It will be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had removed Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its portal and website as ADC National Chairman and Secretary, respectively, on April 1, citing the Court of Appeal’s judgment.

The electoral body said it would, in line with the order for maintenance of the status quo ante bellum, not recognise any of the warring factions until the legal dispute is determined.

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The Supreme Court minutes ago voided the Ibadan Convention organized by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the People’s Democratic Party PDP in Ibadan last November.

‎‎In a split decision of three justices to two, the Apex Court in its lead judgement prepared and read by Justice Stephen Adah condemned, in strong terms, the disobedience of court orders by the Turaki camp. ‎‎

This is the verdict on the appeal challenging the decision of the Court that affirms that former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, was unlawfully excluded from the chairmanship race. ‎‎

The five-member Apex Court panel expressed displeasure with the Turaki group for its disobedience of the order of the trial court including the instruction to halt the the planned Ibadan convention until forms are sold to all those interested to run for executive positions.

‎‎The Apex Court further stressed that the Ibadan Convention went ahead in defiance of a subsisting court order, an action deemed as ‘condemnable’. ‎‎

Justices Mohammed Garba and Justice Chidioma Nwosu-Iheme are the others for the majority decisions while Justices Haruna Tsammani and Abubakar Sadiq Umar were in the minority.‎

The supreme court has fixed Thursday, April 30, to deliver judgement in an appeal filed by David Mark, national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), over the leadership tussle in the country.

The appeal, marked SC/CV/180/2026, was listed for judgement on the website of the supreme court and indicated that the date has been communicated to parties in the suit.

In the notice judgement would commence at 2 pm.

Mark, who is leading a faction of the ADC, is challenging the March 12 ruling of the court of appeal, which ordered parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum in a suit instituted by aggrieved party members.

In the appeal, the former senate president argued that the appellate court exceeded its jurisdiction by intervening in what he described as the internal affairs of a political party.