ADC crisis: Aregbesola asks new judge to withdraw from Gombe’s suit

National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has asked Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja to recuse himself from the party’s leadership crisis suit reassigned to him.

Aregbesola’s application came barely less than a day to the hearing in the suit filed by Mr Nafiu-Bala Gombe to stop Sen David Mark-led leadership of the ADC from parading themselves as valid leaders of the party.

Justice Lifu had fixed tomorrow for the hearing of the case after the Chief Judge of the court, John Tsoho, reassigned the matter to him.

The case filed by Gombe, the aggrieved former National Deputy Chairman of the ADC, was earlier before Justice Emeka Nwite of a sister court. The matter was, however, reassigned to Justice Lifu, after Nwite’s name was announced among the 12 new justices whose names were sent to President Bola Tinubu for approval as judges of the Appeal Court.

Meanwhile, Aregbesola, in a motion on notice dated June 1 but filed June 2, asked Justice Lifu to withdraw from the case and transfer the suit back to the CJ for reassignment to another judge.

The ADC national secretary, through his lawyer, Mohammed Sheriff, cited lack of confidence in the judge, in his seven-ground argument.

He submitted that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) guarantees every litigant a hearing before an independent and impartial panel.

“Certain circumstances have arisen in this matter which creates a reasonable apprehension of lack of confidence by the third defendant which may undermine public confidence in the administration of justice.”

Aregbesola said the court, in a suit number: ABJ/CS/2637/2026 between the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators Vs. INEC and six others, where his party (ADC) was the third defendant in the suit, had shown a likelihood of lack of confidence.

He said this was so because the court “had given rulings against established principles of law and advice to the applicant and his party in that suit.

“Ordered an accelerated hearing when the matter was not in fact a pre-election matter or a matter of urgency.

“Refused two motions for stay of proceedings and directed parties to enter their defence, adopt their processes and adjourned for judgment, despite being informed of a pending appeal entered before the Court of Appeal and an affidavit of fact showing the same before it.”

He said at the proceedings of May 22 in appeal number: CA/ABJ/CV/569/2026, “counsel for the appellant informed the Court of Appeal of this court’s refusal to stay proceedings, and in complete indignation and irritation at this court’s refusal to stay further proceedings, the Court of Appeal granted an order for stay of further proceedings.

“The applicant has no confidence in this court to administer justice in these proceedings.

“It is in the interest of justice that the matter be heard by another judge.

“The applicant believes that a fair-minded observer would reasonably apprehend a lack of confidence in proceedings before this honourable court.”

The hearing of the case is scheduled for tomorrow.

Gombe, in the suit, is seeking an order restraining Mark, the embattled National Chairman of ADC; 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 first to fifth defendants respectively in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025.

Nwosu was the former ADC National Chairman, who stepped down for Mark’s leadership of the party.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the ADC presidential candidate on May 27 after defeating two other aspirants, including Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, at the party’s national convention.

Also, Dumebi Kachikwu, in a national convention conducted by another faction of the ADC, emerged the presidential candidate of the party for the 2027 general election.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the party was adopted by factional members of the party as sole presidential candidate on May 24.