Justice Lifu, who presided over the matter, ordered each of the applicants to pay N500,000 in favour of the plaintiff, ruling that the motions lacked merit and were not supported by credible evidence.
The applications were filed by the ADC and Aregbesola, both of whom had asked the judge to step aside from a suit instituted by an aggrieved party member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, on grounds of alleged bias.
Delivering his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Lifu held that the request for recusal was unfounded and appeared designed to frustrate the court’s earlier directive for accelerated hearing issued by the Supreme Court.
He stated that after carefully reviewing all processes filed by the parties, the court found “no iota of bias” as alleged by the applicants.
“There is no element of bias being painted by the applicants as alleged,” the judge ruled, adding that the motions were fundamentally defective.
The court further described the applications as an “abuse of court process,” noting that they were filed even before the court fully assumed jurisdiction over the substantive matter.
Justice Lifu emphasised that allegations of bias are serious in nature and must be supported with clear and convincing evidence, warning that the applicants failed to meet this legal threshold.
According to him, “it was a cheap attempt to blackmail and intimidate the court,” stressing that no judge should yield to pressure or allow litigants to manipulate judicial assignment processes.
He further cautioned against what he described as “forum shopping,” where parties attempt to influence the choice of judge handling their case.
“Parties cannot choose which court they should be heard. Matters are assigned to judges by the administrative head of the court, and no applicant can choose who to hear and determine their matters,” he said.
The judge added that granting such applications without evidence would set a dangerous precedent, warning that lawyers could exploit the process to evade unfavourable rulings.
“On the whole, I found no merit in the application, and it is hereby dismissed with N500,000 cost each against the applicants and in favour of the plaintiff, ” he said.
The ruling came after an earlier procedural dispute in which counsel for ADC officials challenged the judge’s authority to continue hearing the matter, referencing his previous judgment in a related political dispute involving the party.
However, the court maintained that the current case was distinct from earlier proceedings in which a separate judgment affecting ADC had been delivered.
Following the ruling, the matter was adjourned to June 23 for hearing of all pending applications.
The underlying suit, filed by Nafiu-Bala Gombe, seeks to restrain Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and members of the party’s interim National Working Committee from parading themselves as party leaders, alleging violations of the party constitution and the Electoral Act.
