The Supreme Court has fixed April 22, 2026, for the hearing of the appeals filed by the Kabiru Taminu Turaki-led faction. A five-member panel, led by Justice Lawal Garba, granted an accelerated hearing. The Turaki-led group is trying to overturn a Court of Appeal judgment that invalidated their National Convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.
The case pits the Turaki group against a faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. While Wike recently celebrated a “new beginning” for the PDP at a separate convention where Abdulrahman Mohammed was elected Chairman, the Turaki faction claims to have registered over 4 million members digitally and remains the “authentic” arm of the party.
In a parallel move, the apex court also fixed April 22, 2026, to hear the leadership dispute within the ADC. The court ordered the faction led by former Senate President David Mark to serve all legal processes within 24 hours. Due to the urgency, the court struck out a motion for a “stay of execution” and decided to go straight to the substantive appeal.
This involves a battle between David Mark’s group and a faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe. As of April 1, INEC removed the names of David Mark (as Chairman) and Rauf Aregbesola (as Secretary) from its portal, stating it would not recognize either faction until the court provides a final resolution.
The court is fast-tracking these cases to ensure legal clarity before the INEC timetable for the 2027 general elections becomes too advanced. By merging the hearing dates, the Supreme Court is signaling a push to clear the “political litigation logjam” affecting the opposition’s stability.
