Supreme Court Fixes April 22 for Hearing in Mark–Bala ADC Leadership Dispute Appeal

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has fixed April 22, 2026, for the hearing of an appeal filed by David Mark, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, in the ongoing leadership dispute involving Nafiu Bala.

A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Lawal Garba, fixed the date after all parties adopted their respective processes.

In the appeal marked SC/CV/180/2026, Mark, a former Senate President, is seeking an order to stay the execution of the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal Nigeria.

The appellate court had dismissed his earlier appeal concerning the protracted leadership crisis within the party.

Mark’s appeal before the apex court stems from the March 12 ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld a preliminary objection raised by Bala. The objection, argued by his counsel, Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), challenged the competence of Mark’s appeal on the grounds that it raised issues not contained in the ruling of the trial court.

The dispute originated from a September 4, 2025 decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite. The court had declined to grant certain injunctive reliefs sought in an ex-parte application filed by Bala, a chieftain of the party.

With the matter now before the Supreme Court, attention turns to the April 22 hearing, which is expected to further shape the trajectory of the ADC’s leadership tussle.