The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgments in the appeals seeking to set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and four other political parties.

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, reserved judgments to a date that would be communicated to parties after all parties adopted their respective briefs of argument.

Apart from the ADC, other political parties challenging the Federal High Court’s judgment delivered by Justice Peter Odo Lifu are the Action Peoples Party, APP, Action Alliance, AA, Accord Party, AP, and the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.

Musibau Adetunbi SAN, who represented Accord Party, urged the Appeal Court Justices to allow the appeal, void and set aside the Federal High Court judgment for being a nullity.

He argued that Justice Peter Lifu, who issued the de-registration order, erred in law because his findings and conclusions were based on facts not supported any law.

Adetunbi SAN faulted the high Court judgment on various grounds and pleaded with the Court of Appeal to throw it away in the interest of justice.

The Court of Appeal had on June 16 granted a stay of execution of the High Court’s judgment and took a swipe at Justice Lifu for refusing to stay proceedings in the matter as ordered by the appellate Court being higher in the judiciary hierarchy.

The appellate court held that Justice Lifu ignored its earlier order of May 22 directing him to stay proceedings pending the determination of an interlocutory appeal. Against his ruling and despite being notified of the order.

The Court of Appeal described his conduct as “a form of judicial impertinence ,” noting that the Supreme Court had previously held that such conduct amounts to “judicial rascality” and is unbecoming of a judicial officer.

Justice Lifu had ordered INEC to deregister the five political parties on the grounds that they failed to meet the constitutional requirements necessary to retain their registration.

The court also restrained INEC from recognizing the affected parties, accepting nominations from them, or allowing them to participate in the 2027 general elections.

Justice Lifu further ordered the parties to stop presenting themselves as registered political parties, holding that the suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, NFFL, had merit.