The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until September 28, a suit seeking to stop the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, from parading itself as the legitimate leadership of the party.
The suit was filed by an aggrieved ADC member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe.
The case, which was scheduled for hearing of all pending applications on Monday, could not proceed as the presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, did not sit.
The matter was consequently adjourned to September 28.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Justice Lifu had on June 16 fixed the case for hearing of the pending applications after dismissing separate applications by the ADC and its National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, seeking his recusal from the matter.
The judge ruled that the applications lacked merit and awarded a fine of one million naira each against the ADC and Aregbesola in favour of Gombe.
The defendants had accused the judge of bias and asked him to withdraw from the case.
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In the substantive suit, Gombe is asking the court to restrain former Senate President David Mark, Aregbesola and members of their interim National Working Committee from presenting themselves as leaders of the ADC.
He argued that their emergence violated provisions of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
Gombe instituted the suit against the ADC, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Ralph Nwosu as the first to fifth defendants respectively.
The suit is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025.
Ralph Nwosu was the former National Chairman of the ADC who stepped down to pave the way for the emergence of the David Mark-led leadership.
The matter will now come up on September 28 for hearing of the pending applications.
