ADC crisis: Court adjourns Nafiu Bala’s suit against David Mark until June 30

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday adjourned a suit filed by Mr Nafiu-Bala Gombe, seeking to stop David Mark and others from parading themselves as leaders of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, until June 30.

The matter, which was fixed for hearing of all pending applications, could not proceed.

Earlier when the matter was called, all the lawyers to the parties were present except Mr Suleiman Usman, SAN, counsel for Mark.

With the agreement of counsel, Justice Peter Lifu stood down the matter for 15 minutes to give Usman the opportunity to also be heard, and another case was called pending the senior lawyer’s arrival.

However, after the case ended, Justice Lifu stood down proceedings and rose.

Lawyers were then asked to take another date after waiting for some minutes.

Justice Lifu had, on June 16, fixed Tuesday for hearing of all the pending applications after he dismissed the application seeking his recusal from the case.

The judge, who held that the two motions filed by ADC and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (1st and 3rd defendants) lacked merit, awarded a fine of N1 million each against ADC and Aregbesola, National Secretary of the party, in favour of Gombe.

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

Gombe, in the suit, 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 had argued that the emergence of Mark, Aregbesola and other interim NWC members breached 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 the David Mark-led Interim National Working Committee.