On Friday, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, adjourned a suit challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) indefinitely.

New Telegraph reports that the suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a chieftain of the ADC, against former Senate President David Mark and others, was stalled after the court was informed that the plaintiff had applied for the reassignment of the matter to another court

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, has deepened the internal dispute within the ADC following the emergence of David Mark and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, in key leadership roles within the party.

At Friday’s proceedings, counsel to the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, informed the court that the Supreme Court had on April 30 dismissed an interlocutory appeal previously filed by Mark against the suit.

According to him, the apex court also nullified the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal, which had stayed proceedings in the substantive matter.

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“The interlocutory appeal of the second defendant has travelled to the Supreme Court. My Lord, we are glad to inform this honourable court that on the 30th day of April 2026, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the interlocutory appeal dismissing the said appeal for lacking in merit,” he said.

Haruna further disclosed that the plaintiff had written to the Chief Judge on May 4, 2026, seeking the transfer of the matter to another court.

“At this juncture, we must humbly pray to your Lordship to wait for the administrative decision of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court,” he added.

The request was, however, opposed by lawyers representing the defendants, who argued that the move was aimed at delaying the accelerated hearing earlier ordered by the Court of Appeal and affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Counsel for the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, said the defence had not been served with any notice regarding the application.

“We have not received any communication regarding that application. My Lord, so as it is, we don’t know the form or the content of that application. Therefore, we take the approach of the plaintiff as an ambush,” he said.

“We also consider it as an attempt to frustrate the order of accelerated hearing granted by the Court of Appeal and upheld by the Supreme Court,” he added.

Also opposing the request, counsel for the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, described the development as “forum shopping and judge shopping.”

“So my Lord, for the plaintiffs to come back to this court, and to inform us today that they have written a private correspondence to the Honourable Chief Judge, and to hinge that to make a request for this court to await the outcome of that private correspondence, is not only unfortunate My Lord, but a dangerous trend which must not be allowed to stand,” he argued.

Counsel for the fifth defendant, P.I. Oyewole, also faulted the application, describing it as “strange” and accusing the plaintiff of inviting the Chief Judge “to indulge in judicial rascality.”

In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the court could not take action on the request without first hearing from all parties involved.

“Taking a decision or any action in such a letter without hearing from the defendants will amount to a breach of their fundamental right in this suit,” the judge ruled.

He further stated that since the letter was directed to the Chief Judge, the trial court could not make pronouncements on it.

“This matter is best adjourned sine die to afford the parties properly to file a Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Supreme Court in the interlocutory appeal in the suit, to serve the defendants with the letter addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge, and finally to await further or any directive from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court,” Justice Nwite said.

Gombe is seeking a court order restraining David Mark, Aregbesola and others from presenting themselves as leaders of the ADC, arguing that their emergence contravened the party’s constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.