The Court of Appeal in Abuja has halted the enforcement of a Federal High Court judgment that ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
In a strongly worded ruling delivered on Tuesday, the appellate court faulted Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court for proceeding with the case despite an earlier directive from the Court of Appeal and the fact that the matter was already pending before it.
The appeal court described the action as a serious breach of judicial procedure, accusing the trial judge of disregarding its authority. According to the panel, Justice Lifu acted in defiance of an existing court order by hearing the case and issuing a judgment while the appeal was still awaiting determination.
The justices said the conduct amounted to judicial misconduct and undermined the hierarchy of the courts.
As a result, the court ordered an immediate stay of execution of the judgment, effectively suspending the deregistration of the five political parties pending the determination of the appeal.
The decision comes amid growing political controversy over the Federal High Court ruling, which had sparked condemnation from opposition parties and concerns about the state of Nigeria’s democratic space ahead of the 2027 general elections.
More details are expected as the case progresses.
