The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the suit filed by a former National Deputy Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu-Bala Gombe, challenging the leadership of the party led by Sen. David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to a new judge.
The case, earlier before Justice Emeka Nwite, has now been transferred to Justice Peter Lifu for continuation of hearing following Justice Nwite’s elevation to the Court of Appeal by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The development marks another procedural turn in the protracted internal crisis rocking the ADC over the legitimacy of its interim national leadership and working committee.
Gombe, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, is seeking an order of the Federal High Court restraining Mark, the party’s interim National Chairman, Aregbesola, the National Secretary, and members of their National Working Committee (NWC), from further parading themselves as the party’s leadership.
Also joined in the suit are the ADC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the party’s former national chairman, Ralph Nwosu, who is listed as the fifth defendant.
The plaintiff is contending that the emergence and recognition of the Mark–Aregbesola-led structure violated the ADC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act, insisting that the current leadership arrangement lacks legal backing.
The leadership dispute has deepened following a series of conflicting judicial and political developments, including the Supreme Court’s recent decision setting aside an earlier order of the Court of Appeal which had directed parties to maintain the status quo in the leadership tussle.
The apex court had subsequently ordered an accelerated hearing of the substantive matter at the trial court, effectively sending the parties back to the Federal High Court for determination.
At the last sitting on May 8, counsel to Gombe, Luka Haruna (SAN), had requested that the matter be transferred from Justice Nwite to another judge, citing a letter reportedly written to the Chief Judge.
The application was, however, strongly opposed by counsel to the defendants, including Rilwan Okpanachi for the ADC; Mohammed Sheriff for Aregbesola; P.I. Oyewole for Ralph Nwosu; and other senior lawyers representing Sen. David Mark, who described the request as procedurally improper and an attempt at forum shopping.
The defence team had argued that the application was an ambush and capable of undermining the Supreme Court’s directive for expeditious hearing of the case, insisting that they maintained full confidence in the integrity of the trial court.
They further urged the court to proceed with the substantive hearing, although they later sought time to obtain a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment to guide proceedings..
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