JUSTICE Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until June 30 the suit filed by Nafiu-Bala Gombe seeking to stop former Senate President David Mark and members of the interim leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from parading themselves as leaders of the party.
News Point Nigeria reports that the matter, which was scheduled for Tuesday for the hearing of all pending applications, could not proceed, prompting the court to fix a new date for the continuation of proceedings.
When the case was called, all counsel representing the parties were present in court except Suleiman Usman, SAN, who is counsel to Senator Mark.
Following consultations among lawyers involved in the matter, Justice Lifu agreed to stand down the case for 15 minutes to allow Usman the opportunity to be heard. The court subsequently called another matter while awaiting the senior advocate’s arrival.
However, after the conclusion of the other case, Justice Lifu stood down proceedings and later rose without hearing the matter.
The lawyers were subsequently directed to obtain another hearing date after waiting for several minutes.
The court had earlier, on June 16, fixed June 24 for the hearing of all pending applications after dismissing requests seeking the judge’s recusal from the case.
Justice Lifu had ruled that the separate motions filed by the ADC and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the 1st and 3rd defendants respectively, lacked merit.
The court consequently imposed a fine of N1 million each on the ADC and Aregbesola in favour of the plaintiff, Gombe.
Both the ADC and Aregbesola had urged the judge to withdraw from the matter, alleging bias in the handling of the suit filed by Gombe, an aggrieved member of the party.
In the substantive suit, Gombe is seeking an order restraining David Mark, Aregbesola and members of the party’s interim National Working Committee (NWC) from presenting themselves as leaders of the ADC.
He contends that the emergence of Mark, Aregbesola and other members of the interim NWC contravenes the provisions of the ADC constitution as well as the Electoral Act.
The plaintiff joined the ADC, David Mark, Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Ralph Nwosu as the 1st to 5th defendants respectively.
Nwosu was the former National Chairman of the ADC who stepped aside to pave the way for the emergence of the David Mark-led leadership of the party.