Sokoto ADC Crisis: Court Fines Senior Advocate’s Team N500,000, Awards Travel Costs to Plaintiff
By Fahad Faruk Galadanchi
The Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto on Monday imposed a N500,000 penalty on counsel to the 1st defendant and ordered the payment of the plaintiff’s travel expenses following an adjournment in the ongoing leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress ADC.
The sanctions were handed down after a disagreement among lawyers over an application seeking to postpone proceedings.
Counsel for the 1st defendant, Barrister Salmanu Jabo, who held brief for Dr. Sulaiman Usman SAN, informed the court that the senior advocate was unable to attend because of other commitments relating to the case.
He told the court he lacked the authority to proceed with the substantive hearing and requested an adjournment.
Jabo further argued that three pending applications had not yet been served on all parties, particularly the 4th and 5th defendants, making it improper for the matter to proceed. He maintained that continuing with the hearing would breach the affected parties’ right to fair hearing.
Counsel for the 2nd and 3rd defendants, Prof. Ibrahim Abdullahi SAN, supported the application, urging the court to grant the adjournment in the interest of justice. He relied on Order 26, Rule 4 of the Federal High Court Rules, which provides parties with seven days to respond after being served with court processes.
The plaintiff’s lead counsel, Barrister Mathew Bukkaa SAN, opposed the request, arguing that it was a calculated attempt to delay the case. He insisted he was prepared to proceed and urged the court to dismiss the application.
After considering the arguments, the presiding judge, Justice Ahmad Mahmud Gama, ruled that an adjournment was necessary to ensure compliance with the constitutional requirement of fair hearing, especially since not all parties had been served.
The court consequently adjourned the matter to July 22 2026, for continuation of hearing.
Justice Gama, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the circumstances that led to the adjournment and ordered counsel to the 1st defendant to pay a N500,000 fine to the court.
The judge also directed the 1st defendant’s legal team to refund the plaintiff’s counsel’s air travel expenses upon presentation of receipts, in addition to other costs incurred as a result of the adjournment.
The latest ruling adds another twist to the legal contest over the leadership of the ADC in Sokoto State, with the substantive hearing expected to resume on July 22.
