Nigeria’s Supreme Court has fixed April 22, 2026, to hear two appeals stemming from the leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party.
The appeals were filed by a faction of the party led by Kabiru Turaki, which is challenging earlier court rulings that nullified the PDP’s Ibadan National Convention held between November 15 and 16, 2025.
A five-member panel of the apex court, headed by Justice Lawal Garba, granted the applicants’ request for an expedited hearing.
The court also approved a shortened timeline for the filing and exchange of legal briefs.
During proceedings, counsel to the Turaki-led faction, Chris Uche, emphasised the urgency of the matter, noting the need to resolve the dispute ahead of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable for the 2027 general elections. He supported the request with an affidavit highlighting the urgency of the case.
In the first appeal, which pits the Turaki group against a rival faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, the court ordered that hearing notices be served on all respondents, including one who was absent in court.
Lawyer to some of the respondents, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), sought additional time to respond, citing the need to obtain relevant records from the Court of Appeal judgment that invalidated the convention.
However, the Supreme Court directed all nine respondents to file their responses within five days.
The second appeal involves a dispute between the Turaki-led faction and former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, who had earlier challenged his exclusion from the party’s national chairmanship race. His suit had led to a Federal High Court order halting the convention.
Previous rulings by lower courts had gone against the Turaki faction, nullifying the convention, restraining INEC from recognising its outcome, and, in some cases, limiting access to the party’s national secretariat.
The appellants, however, argue that the dispute concerns internal party matters, which they contend should not be subject to judicial intervention. They also maintain that due process was followed in conducting the convention.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear both appeals on the scheduled date.
