The appeal against the Judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the Judgment of Justice Omotosho, was mentioned for the first time today at the Supreme Court. Lead Counsel for the Kabiru Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, prayed the Court for a departure from the rules of the apex court by abridging time for the filing of processes. He further applied for the accelerated hearing of the case, due to the exigency of time, for its expeditious determination.

Counsel for the 1st to 3rd Respondents, E.C. Ukala, SAN, while not opposing the application, sought 15 days to file their Respondents’ Brief. Counsel for INEC, Kingsley Magbim, Esq., in like manner, did not oppose the application but sought 10 days to file their Respondents’ Brief. Other Respondents equally did not oppose the application.

The Court, having considered the facts deposed to in the affidavit in support of the appellant’s application, granted same and abridged time to 5 days for the Respondents to file their Respondents’ Brief, and 2 days for the Appellants’ Reply Brief (where necessary). All briefs are to be filed on or before the 21st of April, and the case has been fixed for definite hearing on the 22nd of April, 2026.

In a related case (Sule Lamido’s case), where the party filed an appeal against the Judgment of the Court of Appeal upholding the verdict of Justice Lifu, lead counsel for the Appellants, Paul Erokoro, SAN, similarly applied for an abridgment of time and a departure from the rules, seeking accelerated hearing.

Counsel for all the Respondents did not oppose the application. Consequently, the Court granted same, abridging the time for the filing of Respondents’ Brief to 5 days, and the Appellants’ Reply Brief (where necessary) to 2 days. The case was accordingly adjourned to the 22nd of April, 2026, for definite hearing.

In a statement, the PDP said, "We charge all true and uncompromised PDP members to continue to keep their faith alive and uphold the party in their prayers, in the hope that the apex court will give judgments that will save democracy and prevent the enthronement of a one-party state. This Supreme Court has remained the last hope of Nigeria and many Nigerians, even during military dictatorships, in the face of great pressure and unimaginable risk."