The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the leadership suit filed by a former National Deputy Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, to another judge for adjudication.
The suit, which was previously before Justice Emeka Nwite, has now been reassigned to Justice Peter Lifu following Justice Nwite’s recent elevation to the Court of Appeal.
The National Judicial Council, at its 111th meeting held on May 13, had recommended the appointment of 12 new Justices of the Court of Appeal, including Justice Nwite, to President Bola Tinubu for approval.
Gombe, in the suit, is seeking an order restraining Senator David Mark, the embattled National Chairman of the ADC; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the National Secretary; and members of their interim National Working Committee from parading themselves as leaders of the party.
He argued that the emergence of Mark, Aregbesola and other interim NWC members breached the provisions of the ADC constitution and the Electoral Act.
Gombe sued the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission and former ADC National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, as first to fifth defendants respectively in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025.
Nwosu was the former ADC national chairman who stepped down for the David Mark-led leadership of the party.
Justice Nwite had, on April 14, adjourned the matter sine die following Gombe’s request to await the Supreme Court’s judgment in an appeal filed by Mark.
However, on April 30, the Supreme Court set aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja directing parties to maintain status quo ante bellum in the ADC leadership dispute. INEC had relied on that order in derecognising the Mark-led leadership of the party.
The apex court subsequently ordered the parties to return to the Federal High Court for expeditious hearing of the case filed by Gombe.
When the matter came up on May 8 before Justice Nwite, following the Supreme Court’s order, Gombe’s counsel, Luka Haruna, SAN, sought the transfer of the case from Justice Nwite to another judge.
Although no reason was given in open court, Haruna informed the court that a letter had been written to the Chief Judge to that effect.
However, lawyers representing the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu opposed the request.
Counsel to the ADC, Rilwan Okpanachi; Suleiman Usman, SAN, who appeared for Mark; Mohammed Sheriff, who represented Aregbesola; and P. I. Oyewole, counsel for Nwosu, described the request as an ambush, arguing that Gombe’s letter had not been served on them.
They also contended that the application amounted to an attempt to frustrate the order for accelerated hearing, which had been sustained by the Supreme Court.
The defence lawyers further described the move as forum shopping, maintaining that they had absolute confidence in the integrity, impartiality and judicial discretion of Justice Nwite’s court.
They argued that the letter seeking transfer of the case amounted to a fundamental breach of procedure and was not a mere irregularity.
The lawyers said they would have insisted that the court proceed with the hearing but for the fact that a certified true copy of the Supreme Court judgment had not yet been obtained to guide the trial court.
Justice Nwite consequently adjourned the matter sine die pending the production of the certified true copy of the Supreme Court judgment.
With the reassignment of the case to Justice Peter Lifu, the ADC leadership dispute is expected to resume before the Federal High Court for determination in line with the directive of the Supreme Court.
The post “Supreme Court Orders Expedited Hearing” — CJ-FHC Reassigns ADC Leadership Suit Against Mark, Aregbesola To Justice Lifu appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
