The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday again adjourned indefinitely the leadership dispute rocking the African Democratic Congress following a fresh controversy over a request to transfer the case to another judge.
Justice Emeka Nwite put the matter on hold after a disagreement between parties over a letter written by the plaintiff, Nafiu Bala Gombe, to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, seeking the reassignment of the suit.
At the resumed hearing, counsel for the plaintiff, Luka Haruna, informed the court that the Supreme Court had, on April 30, dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed in the matter for lack of merit. He added that the apex court also set aside an earlier order of the Court of Appeal which had stayed proceedings in the substantive suit.
Haruna, however, disclosed that his client had subsequently written a letter dated May 4, 2026, requesting that the case be transferred to another judge. He urged the court to await the administrative decision of the Chief Judge on the request.
The move was strongly opposed by the defence team, which accused the plaintiff of attempting to stall proceedings despite an order for accelerated hearing.
Counsel for the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, who represented Shuaibu Aruwa, argued that the plaintiff had misrepresented the Supreme Court’s ruling. According to him, the apex court upheld the directive for accelerated hearing issued by the Court of Appeal.
He further contended that the application for transfer amounted to an ambush and an attempt to frustrate the speedy determination of the case, stressing that litigants do not have the liberty to choose judges to hear their matters.
Similarly, counsel for the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, described the plaintiff’s action as “forum shopping and judge shopping,” insisting that the move undermined the judicial process. He added that the Supreme Court had commended Justice Nwite for his handling of the case.
In his response, Haruna faulted the defence’s objections, noting that they had criticised a letter they had not seen, and maintained that the plaintiff stood by the request.
Ruling on the dispute, Justice Nwite held that the court could not take any step on the letter without giving all parties the opportunity to be heard.
He noted that acting on the request without hearing from the defendants would amount to a breach of their right to fair hearing. The judge also pointed out that since the letter was addressed to the Chief Judge, the trial court lacked the authority to make pronouncements on it.
Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the case sine die to allow parties file the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment, serve the defendants with the transfer request, and await further directives from the Chief Judge.
The suit centres on a protracted leadership tussle within the ADC.
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