BY CHIJIOKE CHARLE
The Court of Appeal has ordered Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, to stay execution of the verdict by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court ordering the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord, and three other political parties.
In a unanimous ruling on Tuesday evening, a three-member panel of the Appellate Court set aside the order of the trial court for violating the principles of judicial precedence and hierarchy of courts by going ahead to deliver judgment in a matter for which it had ordered a stay of proceedings.
The interlocutory appeal that took the case to the Appeal Court is that instituted by Accord challenging the ruling of the trial court of 27 April refusing to grant an application for joinder in the deregistration suit instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators.
Atiku had decried the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja Monday, stating the posture could affect Nigerian democracy and he was ready to legally resist the move . The former Vice President lauded the Appeal Court noting that judiciary remains last hope of the common man.
However, before the ruling, the respondents in their submissions urged the appellate court to exercise its disciplinary powers over the Federal High Court judge.
The five deregistered political parties expressed concerns that the order of the Federal High Court judge puts their chances in jeopardy in the by-elections scheduled for this coming weekend, June 20. These elections are scheduled to be held across senatorial and federal constituencies of six states, including the off-cycle Ekiti State governorship election.
