The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned that millions of Nigerians risk being disenfranchised if the Supreme Court delays its judgment in a pending appeal involving the party.
The appeal was contained in a letter dated April 28, 2026, written by the party’s lawyers, S. E. Aruwa, SAN & Co., and addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria at the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Abuja.
In the letter, the party said the case marked SC/CV/180/2026 between Senator David Mark and Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe & four others was already heard on April 22, 2026, with judgment reserved.
The ADC said the matter is urgent and directly tied to its ability to participate in the 2027 elections.
The lawyers stated: “We are most respectfully constrained to request Your Lordship’s kind intervention in ensuring that judgment is rendered timeously having regard that INEC, the 4th respondent, is already acting pursuant to the judgment of the lower court.”
They warned that delay in delivering judgment could have serious consequences for the party and its supporters nationwide.
According to the letter, “Without the delivery of judgment within the next three days from the date of this letter, the ADC stands the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from participating in the 2027 General Elections.”
The party further argued that such exclusion would have wider implications.
According to the letter, it could deny citizens their constitutional right to freely associate and contest elections through a political party of their choice.
“This would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who have subscribed to the ideals of the ADC,” the notice added.
The legal team also expressed concern over the workload of the court but insisted that the urgency of the matter could not be ignored.
“My Lord, we are mindful of the enormous responsibilities and workload of
this Honourable Court. We are equally aware that justice delayed, in this
peculiar circumstance, would amount to justice denied.
“The entire political future of our client and the legitimate expectations of its members
nationwide now hangs in the balance.
We thank Your Lordships as we look forward for Your Lordships kind intervention,” the letter added.
