A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday postponed indefinitely a case challenging Senator David Mark's leadership of the opposition African Democratic Congress, leaving the party's 2027 election plans in limbo.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the suit after Nafiu Bala Gombe's lawyer requested the case be transferred to another judge. The adjournment marks the second time the case has been put off without a hearing date. Gombe, a party chieftain, is challenging Mark's control of the ADC.
The Mark-led faction accused Gombe of attempting judicial manipulation. They argued that the Supreme Court's recent decision explicitly ordered accelerated hearing of the case, not delay. Mark's counsel, Realwan Okpanachi, said the plaintiff had ambushed the defendants with a transfer request they had not been informed about beforehand.
Gombe's lawyer, Luka Musa Haruna, told the court that his client had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court on May 4, 2026, asking for the case to be reassigned. He asked Justice Nwite to wait for the Chief Judge's administrative decision before proceeding. Okpanachi countered that litigants cannot choose which judge hears their case and that the court should proceed with accelerated hearing as the higher courts had ordered.
The legal battle reflects deeper divisions within the ADC ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Three major figures have picked nomination forms for the party's presidential ticket: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. All three have promised to focus on economic revival and security if nominated.
In Anambra State, the ADC chapter has committed to backing Mark's leadership. However, the party faces multiple legal challenges in other states, particularly in Jigawa. The ADC's internal crisis threatens to undermine its positioning as a serious opposition force in the 2027 general election.
Justice Nwite's next move depends on the response from Chief Judge John Tsoho regarding Gombe's transfer request and the filing of a certified true copy of the Supreme Court's judgment. The court will resume when both documents have been presented.
