Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed June 16 to decide whether to recuse himself from the suit challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under the Senator David Mark-led leadership.
Justice Lifu fixed the date for ruling on Tuesday, shortly after the recusal applications were adopted and argued by lawyers representing parties in the suit.
A former deputy chairman of the party, Hon Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is laying claim to the leadership of the party, had last year approached the Federal High Court, challenging the election of the national leadership of the ADC.
The suit, which is being opposed by the ADC, has gone up to the Supreme Court and returned to the trial court on April 30 for an accelerated hearing.
However, the ADC is opposed to the hearing of the suit by Justice Peter Lifu, who was newly assigned to hear and determine the suit expeditiously.
Recall that Justice Emeka Nwite had on May 8, shortly after the matter came back from the apex court, adjourned indefinitely, following a letter by Gombe to the Chief Judge (CJ) of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tsoho, seeking transfer of the case to another judge.
Besides, Nwite also requested parties to furnish him with the judgement of the apex court which had ordered accelerated hearings of all pending applications before the trial court.
However, a few days later the matter was reassigned to Justice Lifu, who assumed jurisdiction on June 3 and, after listening to all counsel present at the day’s proceedings, ordered an accelerated trial and adjourned to June 8 for hearing in all pending applications.
When the matter came up on Monday, following a heated argument while lawyers were identifying their individual processes, Justice Lifu ordered counsel to adopt their motions seeking his withdrawal from further trial of the matter over alleged bias against the ADC leadership.
The ADC, Senator David Mark, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Chief Ralph Nwosu are the 1st to 5th respondents in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025.
Except for the second respondent and INEC, the others, including a party seeking to be joined (National Welfare Secretary, ADC, Nkemakolam Ukandu), all asked Justice Lifu to recuse himself, transfer the matter, or stay proceedings over alleged bias against them.
Ukandu, who was represented by Kalu Kalu Agu, on his part cited the petition against the CJ and Lifu, pending at the National Judicial Council (NJC), as well as another court case against the NJC, Tsoho and Lifu, also pending before the Federal High Court, Abuja, filed last Thursday.
However, Gombe’s lawyer, Mr Robert Emukpero, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the motions on grounds that there is no evidence of bias against the respondents.
After listening to all parties, Justice Lifu announced that he will, on June 16, rule whether he will withdraw from the matter or continue with it.
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