Court Adjourns ADC Leadership Suit Indefinitely

The Federal High Court in Abuja has again adjourned indefinitely the suit challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress under former Senate President David Mark, after the plaintiff disclosed he had applied for the transfer of the case to another judge.

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter sine die in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 after counsel for the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, informed the court that a letter dated May 4, 2026 had been written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court requesting reassignment of the case.

Before the adjournment, Haruna also informed the court that the Supreme Court on April 30 dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by former Senate President David Mark against the proceedings, and also set aside the Court of Appeal’s earlier order staying the substantive suit.

The development was, however, met with stiff opposition from lawyers representing the defendants, who accused the plaintiff of attempting to frustrate an order of accelerated hearing earlier granted by the Court of Appeal and upheld by the Supreme Court.

Counsel for the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, described the move as “forum shopping and judge shopping,” while counsel for the fifth defendant, P.I. Oyewole, accused the plaintiff of inviting the Chief Judge to “indulge in judicial rascality.”

Justice Nwite, in his ruling, held that the court could not act on the letter without first hearing all parties, as doing so would breach the defendants’ fundamental rights.

He subsequently adjourned the matter to allow parties file a Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment, serve the defendants with the letter addressed to the Chief Judge, and await any directive from the Chief Judge on the transfer request.

The suit was filed by ADC chieftain Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is seeking an order restraining Mark, former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola and others from parading themselves as leaders of the party, arguing that their emergence violated the ADC’s constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.