By David Odama
National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, and the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, have opposed an application by party chieftain Nafiu Bala Gombe to further amend a lawsuit challenging their emergence as the party’s leaders.
At the hearing before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, lawyers representing Mark and Aregbesola argued that allowing the amendment would be unfair and could lead to a miscarriage of justice.
Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, through his lawyer Lukman Fagbemi, asked the court for permission to further amend the originating summons. This would be the third amendment since the suit was filed. He maintained that the law permits a plaintiff to amend court processes at any stage before judgment.
Counsel to Mark, Suleiman Umar, urged the court to reject the request, arguing that both sides had already exchanged legal arguments and that the plaintiff was now seeking to alter his case after seeing the defence. He said granting the amendment would give Gombe an unfair advantage.
Aregbesola’s lawyer, Realwan Okpanachi, also opposed the application, claiming the proposed changes substantially altered the nature of the case. He told the court that the ADC’s National Executive Committee lawfully changed the party’s leadership during a meeting on July 29, 2025, after notifying INEC earlier that month.
Okpanachi further argued that Gombe’s original suit relied on an unsigned copy of the ADC constitution, but the plaintiff was now attempting to introduce a signed version through the amendment to strengthen his case. He described the move as bad faith and an abuse of court process, especially since the Supreme Court had ordered an accelerated hearing.
After hearing submissions, Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until July 7, when he will rule on whether the amendment will be allowed.
Gombe is seeking a court order stopping Mark, Aregbesola, and others from presenting themselves as ADC leaders, arguing that their emergence violated both the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act. The suit lists the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, INEC, and former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu as defendants.
