ADC Crisis: Court Adjourns Gombe's Suit Against Mark, Aregbesola

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned a suit filed by Mr Nafiu-Bala Gombe, which seeks to stop the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from parading themselves as leaders of the party, until September 28.

The case, originally scheduled for the hearing of all pending applications, could not proceed as the presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, did not sit. The matter has since been fixed for September 28.

 Justice Lifu had, on June 16, set the case down for the hearing of all pending applications after dismissing a motion seeking his recusal from the case. In that ruling, the judge held that the two motions filed by the ADC and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola — the 1st and 3rd defendants respectively — lacked merit, and imposed a fine of N1 million each against the ADC and Aregbesola, the embattled National Secretary of the party, in favour of Gombe.

The ADC and Aregbesola had, in separate motions, asked Justice Lifu to withdraw from the suit filed by Gombe, an aggrieved party member, citing alleged bias.

Gombe, in his suit, is seeking an order restraining Mark, Aregbesola, and members of their interim National Working Committee (NWC) from parading themselves as leaders of the party. He argued that the emergence of Mark, Aregbesola, and other interim NWC members as the party's leadership breached provisions of both the ADC's constitution and the Electoral Act.

Gombe sued the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Ralph Nwosu as the 1st to 5th defendants respectively in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025. Nwosu is the former ADC National Chairman who stepped down in favour of David Mark's leadership of the party.