The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday reserved judgment in the appeals challenging a Federal High Court decision ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties.
A three-member panel led by Justice Abba Mohammed announced that the case was ready for judgment after lawyers representing all the parties adopted their briefs of argument.
The other political parties affected by the lower court’s decision are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The appellate court said the date for judgment would be communicated to the parties.
The Court of Appeal had, on June 16, stayed the execution of the Federal High Court judgment pending the determination of the appeals.
The panel also criticised the trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu, for proceeding with the case despite an earlier order directing him to suspend proceedings.
The appellate court had, on May 22, ordered Justice Lifu to halt further action in the matter pending the outcome of an interlocutory appeal filed by the parties.
It said the trial judge’s attention was drawn to the order, but he nevertheless proceeded to deliver judgment.
The panel described the conduct as “a form of judicial impertinence.”
It further referred to a previous Supreme Court decision that described such disregard for a superior court’s directive as “judicial rascality” and conduct capable of rendering a judge “unfit for the bench.”
