A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned a suit filed by Mr Nafiu-Bala Gombe, requesting that the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) be barred from acting as the party’s leaders until September 28.
The suit, which was scheduled for the hearing, could not proceed because the Presiding Judge, Justice Peter Lifu, did not sit.
Subsequently, according to the press statement, the case has been adjourned to September 28.
Justice Lifu had, on June 16, scheduled the suit for hearing of all the pending applications after he dismissed the application seeking his recusal from the case.
The Justice held that the two motions filed by ADC and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (1st and 3rd defendants) lacked merit, and subsequently awarded a fine of N1 million each against ADC and Aregbesola, the embattled National Secretary of the party, in favour of Gombe.
Also, the ADC and Aregbesola had, in a separate suit, requested Justice Lifu to recuse himself from the suit filed by Gombe, an aggrieved party member, thus making allegations of bias.
Gombe is seeking an order restraining Mark, Aregbesola and members of their interim National Working Committee (NWC) from parading themselves as the party’s leaders.
He argued that the emergence of Mark, Aregbesola and other interim NWC members as the party’s leaders violated the provisions of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
Gombe had sued ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Ralph Nwosu as 1st to 5th defendants, respectively, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025.
Nwosu was the former ADC National Chairman who stepped down for David Mark’s leadership of the party. (NAN)