The Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned indefinitely a suit contesting the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Friday. The case, registered as FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, stems from an internal dispute over the party’s top positions after former Senate President David Mark and ex‑Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola were announced as ADC leaders.
Justice Emeka Nwite ordered a sine‑die adjournment after the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna, indicated that he had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court seeking the transfer of the matter to another judge. The plaintiff’s request was predicated on a recent Supreme Court decision dated 30 April 2026, which dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by Mark and set aside a Court of Appeal order that had stayed proceedings in the case.
During the hearing, Haruna informed the bench that the Supreme Court found the appeal “lacked merit.” He added that on 4 May 2026 the plaintiff had formally requested the chief judge reassign the case and urged the Federal High Court to await further administrative direction.
The ADC defendants opposed the application. Counsel for the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, argued that the plaintiff had not been given proper notice of the application, describing it as an “ambush” intended to delay the trial. Sulaiman Usman, representing the second defendant, also condemned the move, labeling it “forum shopping and judge shopping” aimed at stalling the accelerated timetable imposed by higher courts.
Justice Nwite ruled that the court could not act on any correspondence from the chief judge without first hearing all parties, as doing so would breach the principle of a fair hearing. Consequently, the judge adjourned the suit indefinitely, noting that further proceedings will only resume after the Supreme Court judgment records are filed and any directive from the chief judge is received.
The indefinite suspension highlights the procedural complexities that can arise in intra‑party disputes, especially when multiple levels of the judiciary are involved. Stakeholders and observers will now await clarification from the chief judge and the final disposition of the Supreme Court’s findings before the ADC’s leadership controversy can be definitively resolved.
