Court Adjourns ADC Leadership Suit Indefinitely Amid Judge Transfer Request

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday adjourned indefinitely a suit challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, under former Senate President David Mark.

Justice Emeka Nwite ordered a sine die adjournment after the plaintiff informed the court that a request had been submitted to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court seeking the transfer of the case to another judge.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, arose from a leadership dispute within the ADC following the emergence of David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the party’s leadership structure.

At the resumed hearing, counsel to the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, told the court that the Supreme Court, on April 30, 2026, dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by Mark and overturned the Court of Appeal’s order that had stayed proceedings in the case.

According to Haruna, the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit. He further disclosed that the plaintiff had written to the Chief Judge on May 4, 2026, requesting the reassignment of the matter and urging the court to await administrative direction.

The defendants, however, opposed the request, arguing that it was intended to delay proceedings and frustrate the accelerated hearing earlier ordered by appellate courts.

Counsel to the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, said the defence had not been formally notified of the application, describing it as an ambush and a tactic to stall the case. Counsel to the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, also criticised the move, calling it forum shopping and judge shopping.

In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the court could not act on the correspondence sent to the Chief Judge without hearing all parties involved, noting that doing so would violate the principle of fair hearing.

The judge subsequently adjourned the matter indefinitely, pending the release of the Supreme Court judgment records and further directives from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

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