The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) took a fresh turn on Wednesday as the Federal High Court in Abuja fixed June 8 for further proceedings in a suit challenging the party’s current leadership structure.
Politics Nigeria reports that the court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, postponed hearing in the case to allow all parties seeking to participate in the matter to be properly served and given an opportunity to present their positions before the court.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, centres on the legality of the interim leadership currently overseeing the affairs of the opposition party.
At the resumed sitting, counsel to the plaintiff, Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN), informed the court that lawyers representing individuals and groups seeking to be joined in the matter were absent. He noted that the interested parties had not yet been served with the necessary court processes.
When the matter was called, legal representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and those seeking to be joined in the case were also not present in court.
Although records before the court showed that INEC had received hearing notices, the parties applying to join the suit had yet to be formally notified.
Counsel representing the ADC, Shaibu Aruwa (SAN), urged the court to ensure that all parties with an interest in the matter were allowed to participate in the proceedings. He recalled that some of the applicants seeking joinder had been involved in earlier stages of the case before the previous trial judge and had already filed applications known to all parties.
According to him, denying them the opportunity to appear before the court could affect the principle of fair hearing.
Emukpoeruo also requested time for all pending applications and responses to be properly filed and exchanged among the parties. He maintained that allowing all interested parties to participate would help ensure that the issues before the court are thoroughly addressed.
The application for adjournment was not opposed by lawyers representing the ADC, the party’s interim National Chairman, Senator David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu.
However, defence counsel argued that previous attempts by the plaintiff to seek reassignment of the case had contributed to delays despite directives from higher courts that the matter should be heard without unnecessary setbacks.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu stressed that litigants do not have the power to determine which judge should handle their cases. He stated that once a matter is assigned by the Chief Judge, the court has a duty to proceed in line with the law and ensure justice is served.
The judge further noted that the court was bound by directives from both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal to ensure a speedy resolution of the dispute.
Justice Lifu accepted responsibility for the failure to serve some of the parties seeking joinder and subsequently fixed June 8 for continuation of proceedings.
He also directed the court bailiff to serve all affected parties within 24 hours and ordered all sides in the suit to file and exchange their processes before the next hearing date.
“In the circumstances of this case and the overall interest of justice and order of the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court, this case is hereby given an accelerated hearing,” Justice Lifu said.
The legal action was filed by Nafiu-Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC.
Gombe is asking the court to stop Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and members of the party’s interim National Working Committee from functioning as national officers of the ADC.
He argued that the process through which the interim leadership emerged breached provisions of the party’s constitution as well as the Electoral Act.
Moreover, the ADC, INEC, Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu are listed among the defendants in the case.
