The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused Nafiu Bala Gombe of attempting to manipulate the judicial process by requesting the reassignment of a case challenging the legitimacy of the party's David Mark-led National Working Committee. In a statement released on Friday, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party's National Publicity Secretary, dismissed the move as "curious and laughable," arguing that a plaintiff should not seek to avoid a swift hearing of his own case. The Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, sine die after Gombe informed the court he had applied to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for the case to be transferred to another judge. Justice Emeka Nwite granted the indefinite adjournment following this development. The suit has intensified internal divisions within the ADC, particularly after the appointment of David Mark as interim leader and the inclusion of former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola in the new leadership structure. The ADC claimed the request for reassignment confirms its belief in a "sinister plot" by political actors linked to the ruling party to influence the outcome of the case. The party stated the letter to the Chief Judge reveals an effort to treat the judiciary as "a shopping mall where judges are selected to suit political schemes." According to the ADC, no litigant has the right to choose a judge once a case is filed. The party noted that instead of pushing for a quick resolution, as required by appellate court directives, Gombe and his associates appear to be stalling. The ADC warned that such actions threaten public trust in the judicial system.
Nafiu Bala Gombe filed a suit demanding justice, then sought to move it to a different judge, undermining his own claim of seeking fair adjudication. The ADC's accusation of judge-shopping gains weight given the request for reassignment after the case was already assigned. If a plaintiff dictates judicial assignment, the appearance of impartiality collapses. This weakens the credibility of the suit and deepens the party's internal crisis.
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