By Kingston Magare 8.5.2026
The legal battle between Nafiu Bala Gombe and David Mark for the leadership of the African Democratic Congress has will take a long time in coming to conclude.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has adjourned the case indefinitely, as the plaintiff Bala Gombe wants the presiding judge Justice Emeka Nwite removed from the case.
Bala Gombe had filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, seeking a court order to restrain David Mark, Aregbesola and others from parading themselves as leaders of the ADC. His argument was that David Mark and his cohorts illegally emerged as the party’s leaders in violation of the party’s constitution as well as provisions of the Electoral Act.
Lawyer to Bala Gombe, Luka Musa Haruna, told the court that the Supreme Court had on April 30 dismissed the interlocutory appeal previously filed by David Mark against the case.
“The interlocutory appeal of the second defendant has travelled to the Supreme Court. My Lord, we are glad to inform this honourable court that on the 30th day of April 2026, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the interlocutory appeal dismissing the said appeal for lacking in merit,” he said.
Haruna, however, disclosed that the plaintiff had written to the Chief Judge on May 4, 2026, requesting that the matter be transferred to another judge.
He urged Justice Nwite to await the administrative decision of the Chief Judge before proceeding further with the case.
Legal counsels of the defendants opposed the request saying it was a ploy to delay the case.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite submitted that the court could not take any action on the letter without first hearing all parties involved in the suit.
“This matter is best adjourned sine die to afford the parties properly file a Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Supreme Court in the interlocutory appeal in the suit, to serve the defendants with the letter addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge, and finally to await further or any directive from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court,” he said.
