9th May 2026, NewsOrient. Politics News, Law And Society, Governance And Development. Source: The Guardian

The slim hope that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will overcome the legal hurdles before it in good time to participate legally in the 2027 General Elections dimmed further on Friday as a Federal High Court in Abuja again 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 is challenging the emergence of Mark as National Chairman, and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary of the party.

At the resumed proceedings, counsel for the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, told the court that the Supreme Court had on April 30 dismissed the interlocutory appeal earlier filed by Mark against the proceedings for lacking in merit.

He said the Supreme Court also set aside the Court of Appeal’s order staying proceedings in the substantive suit.

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.

Haruna 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 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.

“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 said.

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 make a request for this court to await the outcome of that private correspondence, is not only unfortunate, 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.

Ruling, Justice Nwite held that the court could not take any action 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 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.

“This matter is best adjourned sine die to afford the parties time to 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.

It would be recalled that 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.

With this ruling, the fate of ADC in meeting up with the election timetable ahead of the 2027 Elections is further made more uncertain.

~ Published By NewsOrient Network

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