Court Adjourns ADC Leadership Dispute Indefinitely

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday adjourned indefinitely the suit challenging the leadership structure of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) involving former Senate President, David Mark, and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

Justice Emeka Nwite postponed the matter after the plaintiff, ADC chieftain Nafiu Bala Gombe, 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 deepened the leadership crisis within the ADC following the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola in the party’s leadership arrangement.

At the resumed hearing, counsel to the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, told the court that the Supreme Court had on April 30 dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by Mark against the proceedings.

According to him, the apex court also vacated the earlier order of the Court of Appeal staying proceedings in the substantive matter.

“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,” Haruna said.

The lawyer, however, disclosed that the plaintiff had written to the Chief Judge on May 4 requesting that the matter be reassigned to another judge.

He urged the court to await the administrative decision of the Chief Judge before taking further steps in the case.

The request was strongly opposed by lawyers representing the defendants, who accused the plaintiff of attempting to delay the accelerated hearing earlier ordered by the Court of Appeal and affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Counsel to the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, argued that the defence had not been served with the application seeking transfer of the matter.

“We have not received any communication regarding that application. Therefore, we take the approach of the plaintiff as an ambush,” he said.

He further described the move as an attempt to frustrate the speedy hearing of the case.

Also opposing the request, counsel to the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, described the application as “forum shopping and judge shopping.”

“So my Lord, for the plaintiffs to come back to this court and inform us today that they have written a private correspondence to the Honourable Chief Judge and hinge a request on it for this court to await the outcome is not only unfortunate but a dangerous trend,” he argued.

Counsel to the fifth defendant, P.I. Oyewole, also faulted the application, describing it as unusual and improper.

Responding, Haruna maintained that the plaintiff stood by the request for reassignment.

In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the court could not act 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 added that since the application was directed to the Chief Judge, the trial court was not in a position to make pronouncements on it.

The judge subsequently adjourned the matter indefinitely to allow parties file the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment and await further directives from the Chief Judge.

Gombe is seeking an order restraining Mark, Aregbesola and others from parading themselves as leaders of the ADC, alleging that their emergence violated the party’s constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.