The Supreme Court of Nigeria has fixed April 22 for the hearing of appeals arising from the ongoing leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The appeals were filed by a faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, challenging earlier judgments delivered by the Court of Appeal on March 9.
A five-member panel of the apex court, headed by Justice Mohammed Garba, set the date on Tuesday after granting an application for accelerated hearing of the case.
The court also abridged timelines for filing of processes, ordering respondents to submit their responses within five days, while appellants were given two days to file any reply.
The dispute stems from decisions of the Court of Appeal which upheld earlier rulings of the Federal High Court in Abuja restraining the PDP from proceeding with its planned national convention pending compliance with statutory requirements under the Electoral Act and party guidelines.
The Federal High Court rulings were delivered by Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu following separate suits filed by aggrieved party members, including former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, several political stakeholders were present at the Supreme Court, including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, alongside Turaki and other PDP figures.
The case is widely seen as a critical test of internal democracy and legal compliance within Nigeria’s opposition politics, as the party awaits judicial clarity on its stalled national convention.
