Appeal Court Halts Deregistration of ADC, 4 Other Parties

Appeal Court Halts Deregistration of ADC, 4 Other Parties

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered immediate stay of execution for the judgment of the Federal High Court directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other parties.

The court ordered INEC not to proceed with the deregistration pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by the affected parties with the judgment of the Federal High Court.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court had on Monday ordered the electoral umpire to deregister ADC, Accord Party (AP) and three other political parties over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration.

But the three-man panel of the Court of Appeal described Justice Lifu as “brazen disregard for the higher court and judicial impertinence”.