The Independent National Electoral Commission has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja seeking a stay of execution of a Federal High Court judgment that ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties.
The electoral body also backed the notice of appeal filed by the affected parties against the ruling.
PUNCH Online had reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had on Monday ordered INEC to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party, ruling that they failed to meet constitutional requirements necessary to retain their registration.
At the resumed hearing before a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, INEC, through its counsel, Haliru Mohammed, said the commission was surprised that the lower court proceeded to deliver the judgment despite an earlier order of the appellate court.
“My Lords, we are aware of an order that this court made on May 22, which stopped the delivery of the judgment of the lower court, which was initially reserved for delivery on June 5,” Mohammed said.
