The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgement in the appeals seeking to set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and four other political parties.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, on Tuesday reserved judgement to a date to be communicated to the parties after they adopted their respective briefs of argument.
Apart from the ADC, the other political parties challenging the Federal High Court’s judgement delivered by Justice Peter Odo Lifu are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The Court of Appeal had, on June 16, granted a stay of execution of the High Court’s judgement and took a swipe at Justice Lifu for refusing to stay proceedings in the matter as ordered by the appellate court, despite its higher position in the judicial hierarchy.
The appellate court held that Justice Lifu ignored its earlier order of May 22 directing him to stay proceedings pending the determination of an interlocutory appeal against his ruling, despite being notified of the order.
The Court of Appeal described his conduct as “a form of judicial impertinence,” noting that the Supreme Court had previously held that such conduct amounts to “judicial rascality” and is unbecoming of a judicial officer.
Justice Lifu had ordered INEC to deregister the five political parties on the grounds that they failed
