Abuja Court Adjourns ADC Leadership Suit Indefinitely

A Federal High Court in Abuja indefinitely adjourned on Friday a suit challenging the national leadership of the African Democratic Congress, following a plaintiff's request to transfer the case to another judge. In a related development, a Federal High Court in Sokoto granted an accelerated hearing in a separate challenge to the party's state leadership structure.

The Abuja case, filed by Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman of the ADC, seeks to restrain David Mark, a former Senate President, Rauf Aregbesola, a former Osun State governor, and others from acting as party leaders. Bala argues their emergence violates the party's constitution and the Electoral Act. During proceedings before Justice Emeka Nwite, Bala's counsel, Luka Musa Haruna, informed the court of a Supreme Court judgment on April 30, 2026, which dismissed an interlocutory appeal by the defendants and set aside a Court of Appeal stay on the main suit. Haruna disclosed a May 4 letter from Bala to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court requesting reassignment and urged the court to await an administrative decision.

Lawyers for the defendants opposed the request. Realwan Okpanachi, counsel for the ADC,...