Nafiu-Bala Gombe’s case against Mark, Aregbesola reassigned to another judge

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tshoho, has reassigned a case filed by Nafiu-Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), to another judge for adjudication. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered on Friday that the suit, which was before Justice Emeka Nwite, had been […]

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tshoho, has reassigned a case filed by Nafiu-Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), to another judge for adjudication.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered on Friday that the suit, which was before Justice Emeka Nwite, had been reassigned to Justice Peter Lifu following the former’s recent elevation to the Court of Appeal.

The National Judicial Council (NJC), at its 111th meeting on May 13, had recommended the appointment of 12 new justices of the Court of Appeal, including Justice Nwite, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approval.

Gombe, in the suit, is seeking an order restraining Sen. David Mark, the embattled National Chairman of ADC; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the National Secretary, 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 NWC members as party’s leaders 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 David Mark leadership of the party.

Justice Nwite had, on April 14, adjourned the case sine die (indefinitely) following Gombe’s request to await the Supreme Court’s judgment in the appeal filed by Mark.

However, the Supreme Court, on April 30, set aside the order made by the Court of Appeal in Abuja ordering the maintenance of status quo ante bellum in the leadership dispute in ADC, on which INEC acted in derecognising the Mark-led leadership of the party.

The apex court ordered the parties to return to the FHC for expeditious hearing of the case filed by Gombe, an aggrieved chieftain of the party. (NAN)