The Federal High Court in Abuja has again adjourned a case challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), this time indefinitely.

Justice Emeka Nwite stepped back from the matter after the plaintiff — an ADC chieftain named Nafiu Bala Gombe — told the court he had written to the Chief Judge asking for the case to be reassigned to a different judge.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, has stirred up a fresh leadership crisis within the ADC. This followed the emergence of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola in the party’s leadership structure.

Here’s what happened in court:

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Luka Musa Haruna, informed the court that the Supreme Court had on April 30 dismissed an appeal filed by Mark against the proceedings. The apex court also set aside a Court of Appeal order that had paused the main case.

But Haruna revealed that his client had written a letter to the Chief Judge on May 4 requesting a new judge. He asked Justice Nwite to wait for the Chief Judge’s decision.

Lawyers for the defendants pushed back hard. They accused the plaintiff of trying to stall the case. One counsel called it an “ambush.” Another described it as “forum shopping and judge shopping.” A third lawyer called the move “strange” and accused the plaintiff of inviting the Chief Judge to engage in “judicial rascality.”

In his ruling, Justice Nwite said the court couldn’t act on a letter addressed to the Chief Judge without hearing all sides first. He adjourned the case indefinitely — or as the court put it, “sine die” — to allow all parties to properly file the Supreme Court judgment, serve the defendants with the transfer request, and await directions from the Chief Judge.

So far!

Gombe is asking the court to stop Mark, Aregbesola, and others from parading themselves as ADC leaders. He argues that how they emerged violated the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

For now, everyone waits to see what the Chief Judge decides.