Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned sine die a leadership suit filed by ADC chieftain Nafiu Bala Gombe. The adjournment follows a request by the plaintiff's counsel, Luka Haruna, who disclosed that Gombe sent a letter dated May 4, 2026, to the chief judge of the Federal High Court seeking transfer of the case to another judge. Haruna said the letter had been forwarded to the court registrar and urged the court to await administrative direction from the chief judge.
The move triggered opposition from the defence. Counsel for the first defendant, Realwan Okpanachi, who represented Shuaibu Aruwa, argued that the Supreme Court had partially allowed the interlocutory appeal and upheld the Court of Appeal's order for accelerated hearing. He accused the plaintiff of misrepresenting the apex court's judgment and attempting to frustrate proceedings. Okpanachi described the transfer request as an ambush and stressed that litigants cannot choose judges.
Sulaiman Usman, counsel for the second defendant, condemned the application as "forum shopping and judge shopping." He noted that the Supreme Court had commended Justice Nwite "in glowing terms" for his handling of the case. Haruna rejected claims of misconduct, maintaining that the plaintiff stood by the transfer request despite the defence not having seen the letter.
Justice Nwite ruled that the court could not act on the letter without hearing all parties, stating that doing so would breach the defendants' fundamental rights. He said the matter must be adjourned sine die to allow time for the filing of the certified true copy of the Supreme Court's judgment, service of the letter on the defendants, and any directive from the chief judge. The case now awaits administrative intervention.
Nafiu Bala Gombe seeks a new judge after the Supreme Court upheld accelerated proceedings he had previously challenged. The request contradicts the apex court's endorsement of Justice Nwite, who was commended for his handling of the case. If allowed, it could delay a resolution for ADC members waiting for clarity on party leadership. The move risks appearing as procedural manipulation rather than a pursuit of justice.
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