The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday suspended the execution of a Federal High Court judgment that ordered the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
DAILY POST reported that the appellate court granted a stay of execution of the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party, APP, Action Alliance, AA, Accord Party, AP, and Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.
In a strongly worded ruling, the Appeal Court condemned the lower court’s action, describing it as “the highest form of judicial impertinence” and a direct violation of the hierarchy of courts.
The panel held that Justice Lifu proceeded with the matter despite an earlier order of the Court of Appeal and while the case was still pending before it.
According to the court, such conduct amounted to judicial rascality and an affront to the constitutional structure governing judicial authority in Nigeria.
The justices stressed that lower courts are bound by the decisions and directives of higher courts and must not act contrary to them.
“Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court. The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the courts and the 1999 Constitution,” the appellate court ruled.
The court subsequently ordered that the enforcement of
