The Federal Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has ordered for a stay of execution of the judgment of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister five political parties.

A three-month panel of the appellate court justices, led by justice Abba Mohammed, slammed Justice Lifu exhibited for going ahead to hear the suit and made the order.

The Appeal Court berated Justice Lifu, saying he exhibited judicial rascality by going ahead to hear and made the order despite the order of the Court of Appeal and the pendency of the matter before the court.

The parties include the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Actions People's Party, APP, Action Alliance, AA, Zenith Labour Party, ZLP and Accord Party, AP.

The High Court judge held that the parties did not meet the Constitutional threshold of section 225 of the 1999 Constitution

Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution gives the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the power to deregister parties that failed to meet the constitutional threshold.

The parties, including the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Yusuf Dantalle, commended the Appeal Court for ordering stay of execution of the judgment.