ADC and Aregbesola had, in separate motions, asked Justice Peter Lifu to recuse himself from the suit filed by an aggrieved party member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, citing alleged bias.
By Emmanuella Ekele
Updated June 16, 2026
Aregbesola speaking at the ADC national convention. X/@ADCNig
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has awarded a fine of ₦500,000 each against the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, over the application seeking the judge’s withdrawal from a suit.
ADC and Aregbesola had, in separate motions, asked Justice Peter Lifu to recuse himself from the suit filed by an aggrieved party member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, citing alleged bias.
Delivering a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Lifu held that the motions lacked merit and were devoid of credible evidence aimed at frustrating the order of the Supreme Court for accelerated hearing of the case.
The judge held that the reasons advanced in the affidavits by the applicants were extraneous.
According to him, the court has painstakingly considered all three processes by parties and by affidavit evidence, and there is no iota of bias found.
He added that there was no element of bias being painted by the applicants as alleged.
The judge recalled that the motions for recusal were filed even when the court had yet to assume jurisdiction on the case.
The judge, who described the applications as “an abuse of court process”, said the motions were fundamentally defective.
The judge added that the law was settled that allegations of bias are grave allegations which are not made lightly, and whoever alleges bias must provide clear evidence.
He further added that it was apparent that the applicants had failed completely to prove the allegations.
Justice Lifu added that it was a cheap attempt to blackmail and intimidate the court, and nobody can intimidate the court.
Justice Lifu held that judges should be careful to “accede to such baseless allegations so that they don’t allow litigants to choose judges that suit them.”
He further described the applications as “forum shopping”.
was delivered against ADC.
After the ruling, the case was adjourned until June 23 for the hearing of all pending applications.
Gombe, in the suit, is seeking an order restraining Senator Mark, the embattled National Chairman of the ADC; Ogbeni Rauf 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 the 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 1st to 5th defendants, respectively, in the suit
Nwosu was the former ADC National Chairman who stepped down for David Mark’s leadership of the party.
