Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has suspended the execution of a judgement that would have seen five political parties deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in a ruling that heavily criticised the trial judge for what it described as “judicial impertinence.”
The appellate court took aim at Justice Peter Lifu, who had earlier ordered INEC to deregister the African Democratic Party (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
In a stinging rebuke, the panel of justices held that Justice Lifu had displayed “judicial rascality” by proceeding to hear the matter and deliver judgement despite a prior order from the Court of Appeal and the fact that the case was already pending before the higher court.
The panel ruled that the lower court’s action amounted to a “brazen violation” of the hierarchy of courts and the 1999 Constitution.
“Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court,” the appellate court held.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgement despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution.”
The justices further stressed that the Supreme Court had previously held that a judge who acts in such a manner “is unfit for the bench as it amounts to judicial rascality.”
Granting the application for a stay of execution, the court ordered that enforcement of the deregistration judgement be halted with immediate effect.
Justice Lifu had ruled on Monday that the five political parties had failed to meet the constitutional requirements to warrant their continued existence and participation in future elections.
The ruling had been met with fierce opposition from the affected parties, with the ADC rejecting the deregistration order and alleging a plot to cripple opposition politics in the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.
