Supreme Court Reserves Judgment in ADC Leadership Appeal as David Mark Challenges Jurisdiction Ruling

The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in a high-stakes appeal filed by African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Chairman, David Mark, over a legal dispute questioning whether courts can intervene in the internal affairs of political parties.

A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Garba Mohammed, announced the decision on Wednesday after lawyers representing all parties adopted their written arguments in the case.

The appeal centres on a jurisdictional conflict stemming from earlier rulings that challenged the authority of the Federal High Court in Abuja to hear matters relating to internal party leadership disputes within the ADC.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, representing David Mark, urged the court to allow the appeal, arguing that a previous Supreme Court decision delivered on March 21, 2025 had already established that courts lack jurisdiction over internal political party affairs.

He maintained that the lower courts acted outside their powers and asked the apex court to set aside the decisions that allowed the matter to proceed.

On the other side, Robert Emukpero, SAN, representing Nafiu Gombe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal, insisting that the case was premature and properly handled by the lower court, which had already struck it out.

The legal battle traces back to earlier rulings by the Court of Appeal, which dismissed Mark’s challenge against the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite. The appellate court held that the appeal was premature and filed without proper leave.

The Court of Appeal also ordered that the case be returned to the trial court for accelerated hearing, while directing all parties to maintain the status quo pending determination of the substantive issues.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) later withdrew recognition from the ADC leadership led by Mark, citing the unresolved legal dispute as reason for its action.

Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s ruling and the status quo order, Mark escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the decision and restore clarity on the party’s leadership structure.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Garba Mohammed announced that judgment has been reserved and will be delivered on a date to be communicated to all parties.