The National Judicial Council (NJC) has been petitioned to investigate Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over a ruling that ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties. The petition, dated June 16, 2026, was filed by TAP Initiative for Citizens' Development, a civil society organisation, and addressed to Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. It alleges that Justice Lifu delivered the judgment despite a subsisting Court of Appeal order and ongoing appellate proceedings in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/569/2026. The petition states that the Court of Appeal had issued an enrolment order staying proceedings in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2025, which the ruling allegedly ignored. The affected parties include the ADC, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). The CSO raised concerns about "profound constitutional and procedural concerns," arguing that the judgment undermines judicial hierarchy and the supervisory role of the appellate court. It warned that such actions risk creating conflicting judicial outcomes and weakening public trust in the judiciary. The petition urges the NJC to determine whether Justice Lifu's conduct violated the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, particularly on integrity, due process, fairness, and public confidence. No further details about the NJC's response or next steps were provided in the source.
Justice Lifu issued a judgment with immediate effect on five political parties despite a Court of Appeal order explicitly staying the case. The petition argues this bypassed appellate authority and risks contradictory rulings. Judicial conduct that overrides a stay order undermines the hierarchy meant to prevent legal chaos. Public confidence in the judiciary is weakened when lower courts act in defiance of higher court directives.
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