Fresh Twist In ADC Crisis As Court Delivers New Ruling On Leadership Battle

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, following submissions by the plaintiff’s counsel, Luka Musa Haruna, who informed the court that a formal request had been sent to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court seeking the transfer of the case.

Haruna told the court that the letter requesting the reassignment was dated May 4, 2026.

Before the adjournment, the plaintiff’s lawyer also disclosed that the Supreme Court had on April 30 dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by David Mark challenging the proceedings.

He further stated that the apex court set aside an earlier Court of Appeal order which had halted proceedings in the substantive suit.

However, lawyers representing the defendants strongly opposed the request for transfer.

Counsel to the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, described the move as an attempt at “forum shopping and judge shopping.”

Similarly, counsel to the fifth defendant, P.I. Oyewole, accused the plaintiff of trying to pressure the Chief Judge into what he described as “judicial rascality.”

Delivering his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the court could not consider the transfer request without first hearing from all parties involved, stressing that doing otherwise could violate the defendants’ fundamental rights.

The judge subsequently adjourned the matter sine die to allow parties file the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment and ensure the defendants are served with the transfer request letter.

The court also stated that it would await further directives from the Chief Judge concerning the reassignment application.

The suit was instituted by ADC chieftain Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is seeking an order preventing David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and others from presenting themselves as leaders of the party.

The plaintiff argued that their emergence allegedly contravened the ADC constitution as well as provisions of the Electoral Act.