Court adjourns ADC leadership suit indefinitely

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by an African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Nafiu Bala Gombe, challenging the party’s leadership under former Senate President David Mark.

 

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter sine die after the plaintiff informed the court that he had applied to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for the transfer of the case to another judge.

 

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, has triggered fresh leadership tensions within the ADC following the emergence of David Mark and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, in the party’s leadership structure.

 

At the resumed hearing, counsel for the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, informed the court that the Supreme Court had on April 30 dismissed the interlocutory appeal filed by Mark against the proceedings.

 

He added that the apex court also set aside the Court of Appeal’s earlier order staying proceedings in the substantive suit.

 

“The interlocutory appeal of the second defendant travelled to the Supreme Court and on April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal for lacking merit,” Haruna said.

 

The lawyer, however, disclosed that the plaintiff had written to the Chief Judge on May 4, 2026, requesting that the case be reassigned to another judge.

 

He urged the court to await the administrative decision of the Chief Judge on the application.

 

The request was opposed by counsel to the defendants, who accused the plaintiff of attempting to delay the accelerated hearing earlier ordered by the Court of Appeal and upheld by the Supreme Court.

 

Counsel for the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, described the application as an ambush.

 

“We have not received any communication regarding the application. We consider it an attempt to frustrate the order for accelerated hearing,” he said.

 

Counsel for the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, described the move as “forum shopping and judge shopping,” warning that such actions could undermine judicial proceedings.

 

Also opposing the request, counsel for the fifth defendant, P.I. Oyewole, described the application as strange and accused the plaintiff of inviting the Chief Judge to interfere improperly in the matter.

 

Responding, Haruna maintained that the plaintiff stood by the request.

 

In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the court could not act on the letter without hearing all parties involved.

 

“Taking any action on such a letter without hearing from the defendants will amount to a breach of their fundamental rights,” the judge ruled.

 

He added that since the letter was addressed to the Chief Judge, the trial court could not make any pronouncement on it.

 

Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter indefinitely to allow parties file the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment, serve the defendants with the transfer request, and await further directives from the Chief Judge.

 

Gombe is seeking an order restraining David Mark, Aregbesola and others from parading themselves as ADC leaders, arguing that their emergence violated the party’s constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.