The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by Mr. Nafiu-Bala Gombe concerning the leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Justice Emeka Nwite made the decision after hearing arguments from both Gombe’s and the defense lawyers regarding Gombe’s application to have the case reassigned to another judge.
Justice Nwite explained that the Supreme Court had delivered its judgment on the interlocutory appeal by the 2nd defendant (Sen. David Mark) on April 30, 2026. However, no party had submitted the certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment to the court. Additionally, Gombe had written a letter to the Chief Judge (CJ) of the Federal High Court, requesting the transfer of the case to another judge. However, the letter had not been served on the defendants, a breach of their fundamental rights, according to the judge.
“The decision on this letter cannot be made by this court as it was addressed to the CJ. It would be improper to proceed with any action on it without hearing from the defendants,” Justice Nwite stated.
The case was therefore adjourned indefinitely to allow all parties the opportunity to submit the CTC of the Supreme Court judgment and serve the letter to the defendants.
In the suit, Gombe, the former National Deputy Chairman of ADC, has argued that the emergence of Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as party leaders violated the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act. Gombe sought the removal of these leaders and the annulment of their election.
During the hearing, Gombe’s lawyer, Luka Haruna, SAN, informed the court that the Supreme Court’s ruling on the interlocutory appeal had dismissed the appeal filed by Mark. Haruna requested that the court wait for the administrative decision from the CJ regarding the transfer of the case.
However, the defense lawyers, including those representing ADC, Mark, and Aregbesola, opposed Gombe’s application for case reassignment. Rilwan Okpanachi, counsel for ADC, emphasized that the plaintiff’s request to transfer the case was unprocedural and a violation of established judicial processes.
The defendants argued that Gombe’s private communication with the CJ, without proper service to the defendants, amounted to “forum shopping” and could undermine the integrity of the court. They requested that the matter proceed with the hearing once all required documents were submitted.
Justice Nwite adjourned the case indefinitely until the necessary documents are filed and served, allowing the court to properly assess the matter before proceeding with further hearings.
