Appeal Court Suspends Execution of Judgment Against ADC and Four Others
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has strongly criticized Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for delivering a judgment on Monday that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties. The appellate court described the judge's actions as judicial rascality, noting that he proceeded to hear and rule on the matter despite a pending order from the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal issued a stay of execution on the judgment, effectively halting its implementation pending further proceedings. Justice Lifu had ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Actions People’s Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Accord Party (AP). The Federal High Court ruled that these parties failed to meet the constitutional threshold outlined in Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants INEC the authority to deregister parties that do not fulfill constitutional requirements.
Details of the case are still emerging, but the Court of Appeal's intervention underscores the ongoing legal battle over the status of these political entities.
