Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has indefinitely adjourned the leadership dispute involving the African Democratic Congress following a request by the plaintiff seeking the transfer of the case to another judge.
The suit was instituted by ADC chieftain Nafiu Bala Gombe.
Justice Nwite ordered the matter adjourned sine die after disagreements emerged among parties over a letter written by the plaintiff to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court requesting that the case be reassigned.
During proceedings on Friday, counsel to the plaintiff, Luka Haruna, informed the court that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had on April 30 delivered judgment in the interlocutory appeal connected to the matter.
Haruna explained that the apex court dismissed the appeal for lacking merit and also vacated the earlier order of the Court of Appeal which had stayed proceedings in the substantive suit.
The lawyer, however, disclosed that the plaintiff had written a letter dated May 4, 2026, to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court seeking the transfer of the case to another judge.
According to him, the letter had already been forwarded to the court registrar, urging Justice Nwite to await the administrative decision of the Chief Judge.
The request was strongly opposed by the defence team, which accused the plaintiff of attempting to frustrate the accelerated hearing earlier ordered by the appellate court and upheld by the Supreme Court.
Counsel to the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, who represented Shuaibu Aruwa, argued that the plaintiff had misrepresented the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling.
Okpanachi maintained that the apex court only partially allowed the appeal and specifically upheld the order directing an accelerated hearing of the substantive matter.
He further criticised the plaintiff for allegedly ambushing the defence team with the transfer request, insisting that litigants could not choose the judges who would preside over their cases.
The senior lawyer nevertheless urged the court to retain the earlier order adjourning the case indefinitely pending the filing of the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment.
Counsel to the second defendant, Sulaiman Usman, also faulted the plaintiff’s application, describing it as “forum shopping and judge shopping”.
Usman told the court that the Supreme Court had commended Justice Nwite for his handling of the proceedings.
Responding, Haruna accused the defence of criticising a letter they had not seen and insisted that the plaintiff stood by the application.
Delivering his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the court could not act on the letter without first hearing all parties involved in the suit.
“Taking a decision or any action in such a letter without hearing from the defendants will amount to a breach of their fundamental right in this suit,” the judge ruled.
He added that since the letter was addressed to the Chief Judge, the trial court was not in a position to make pronouncements on it.
“This matter is best adjourned sine die to afford the parties the opportunity to 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,” Justice Nwite said.
The matter was subsequently adjourned indefinitely.
