THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday again adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by an African Democratic Congress chieftain, Nafiu Bala Gombe, challenging the party’s leadership under former Senate President David Mark.
News Point Nigeria reports that 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 a fresh leadership crisis 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 proceedings, counsel for the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, informed the court that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had on April 30 dismissed the interlocutory appeal earlier filed by Mark against the proceedings.
According to him, the apex court also set aside the Court of Appeal’s order 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.
Haruna, however, disclosed that the plaintiff had written a letter dated May 4, 2026, to the Chief Judge requesting that the matter be reassigned to another judge.
He subsequently urged Justice Nwite to await the administrative decision of the Chief Judge on the request.
“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.
The request was strongly opposed by lawyers representing the defendants, who accused 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, faulted the plaintiff for allegedly ambushing the defence with the transfer request.
“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,” he said.
“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 application, describing it as “strange” and accusing the plaintiff of inviting the Chief Judge “to indulge in judicial rascality.”
Responding to the objections, Haruna maintained that the plaintiff stood firmly by the application seeking transfer of the matter.
Delivering his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the court could not take any action on the letter without hearing all parties involved in the suit.
“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 ruled.
He further stated that since the letter was addressed to the Chief Judge, the trial court lacked the authority to make pronouncements 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,” Justice Nwite said.
Gombe is seeking an order restraining David 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.