A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday adjourned indefinitely a suit filed by an African Democratic Congress 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 Mark and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola in the party’s leadership structure.
At the resumed hearing, counsel to the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, told the court that the Supreme Court on April 30 dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by Mark against the proceedings. Haruna said the apex court also set aside an earlier order of the Court of Appeal staying proceedings in the substantive suit.
“The interlocutory appeal of the second defendant has travelled to the Supreme Court. My Lord, we are glad to inform this honourable court that on the 30th day of April 2026, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the interlocutory appeal dismissing the said appeal for lacking in merit,” he said.
The lawyer, however, disclosed that the plaintiff had written a letter dated May 4, 2026, to the Chief Judge seeking reassignment of the case to another judge. “At this juncture, we must humbly pray to your Lordship, to wait for the administrative decision of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court,” Haruna said.
Lawyers representing the defendants opposed the request, accusing the plaintiff of attempting to frustrate the accelerated hearing earlier ordered by the Court of Appeal and upheld by the Supreme Court.
Counsel for the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, said the defence had not been served with the application seeking transfer of the case.“We have not received any communication regarding that application. My Lord, so as it is, we don’t know the form or the content of that application. Therefore, we take the approach of the plaintiff as an ambush. We also consider it as an attempt to frustrate the order of accelerated hearing granted by the Court of Appeal and upheld by the Supreme Court,” he added.
Counsel for the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, described the move as “forum shopping and judge shopping.”
“So my Lord, for the plaintiffs to come back to this court, and to inform us today that they have written a private correspondence to the Honourable Chief Judge, and to hinge that to make a request for this court to await the outcome of that private correspondence, is not only unfortunate My Lord, but a dangerous trend which must not be allowed to stand,” he said.
Counsel for the fifth defendant, P.I. Oyewole, also opposed the request, describing it as “strange” and accusing the plaintiff of inviting the Chief Judge “to indulge in judicial rascality”.
Responding, Haruna maintained that the plaintiff stood by the application. While ruling on the matter, Justice Nwite said the court could not act on the letter without hearing all parties.“Taking a decision or any action in such a letter without hearing from the defendants will amount to breach of their fundamental right in this suit,” the judge said. 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.“This matter is best adjourned sine die to afford the parties properly file a Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Supreme Court in the interlocutory appeal in the suit, to serve the defendants with the letter addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge, and finally to await further or any directive from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court,” the judge said.
Gombe is seeking an order restraining Mark, Aregbesola and others from parading themselves as leaders of the ADC, arguing that their emergence violated the party’s constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.