A panel of justices of the Court of Appeal held that the lower court judge acted in defiance of established judicial procedure.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has suspended the execution of a controversial judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, which ordered the deregistration of five political parties, describing the actions of the trial judge as a grave affront to judicial hierarchy and due process.
In its ruling, the appellate court not only halted the implementation of the judgment but also accused Justice Lifu of exhibiting "judicial rascality" by proceeding with the matter despite an existing order of the Court of Appeal and the pendency of related proceedings before it.
In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice A. B. Mohammed, berated Justice Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly flouting an order issued on May 22 directing him to suspend proceedings in the case before him.
The appellate court's intervention came amid growing political and legal controversy surrounding the Federal High Court judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
