The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by African Democratic Congress chieftain, Nafiu Bala Gombe, challenging the leadership of the party under former Senate President David Mark.

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter sine die after counsel to the plaintiff informed the court that an application had been submitted to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court seeking the transfer of the case to another judge.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, has deepened the leadership crisis within the ADC following the emergence of Mark and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, in the party’s leadership structure.

At the resumed hearing, counsel to the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, told the court that the Supreme Court had, on April 30, dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by Mark challenging the proceedings.

Haruna further disclosed that the apex court also vacated the Court of Appeal’s earlier order staying proceedings in the substantive suit.

“The Supreme Court delivered its judgment on April 30, 2026, dismissing the interlocutory appeal for lacking merit,” he said.

The plaintiff’s counsel, however, informed the court that a letter dated May 4, 2026, had been written to the Chief Judge requesting the reassignment of the matter to another judge. He urged the court to await the administrative decision on the request.

The application was strongly opposed by counsel representing the defendants, who argued that the move was aimed at frustrating the accelerated hearing earlier ordered by the Court of Appeal and affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Counsel to the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, accused the plaintiff of ambushing the defence with the transfer request, noting that the defendants had not been served with any such application.

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

Counsel to the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, described the move as “forum shopping and judge shopping,” warning against allowing what he termed a “dangerous trend” in judicial proceedings.

Similarly, counsel to the fifth defendant, P.I. Oyewole, opposed the request and described it as “strange.”

In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the court could not take any action on the plaintiff’s letter without first hearing all parties in the matter.

“Taking a decision or any action on such a letter without hearing from the defendants would amount to a breach of their fundamental right,” the judge said.

He added that since the correspondence was addressed to the Chief Judge, the trial court could not make any pronouncement on it.

Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter indefinitely to allow parties file a Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment, serve the defendants with the letter addressed to the Chief Judge, and await further directives from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

Gombe is seeking an order restraining Mark, Aregbesola and other party officials from parading themselves as leaders of the ADC, arguing that their emergence violated the party’s constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.