The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has confirmed that it has petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) against Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja over his handling of the case that ordered the deregistration of the party and four other political parties.
The disclosure was made by the ADC’s National Legal Adviser and former Edo State Governor, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television. He described the judge’s actions as a serious breach of judicial hierarchy and the rule of law.
According to Osunbor, the party had already filed a petition before the National Judicial Council, adding that recent developments at the Court of Appeal have further reinforced its decision to pursue the complaint.
“We had actually petitioned Justice Lifu to the NJC. We already have a petition against him, and we are pursuing it. This is even an additional reason for us to pursue it because it is incumbent on all of us to ensure that we have a sanitised judiciary in Nigeria,” he said.
Osunbor accused Justice Lifu of proceeding with the case despite receiving an order from the Court of Appeal directing him to stay proceedings. He argued that the alleged disregard for a superior court’s directive undermined judicial discipline and the principle that court orders must be obeyed until set aside by a competent court.
He also expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would continue to uphold the long-established position that no individual or institution has the authority to ignore valid court orders, regardless of personal views about such decisions.
The ADC official further criticised attempts to deregister opposition political parties, suggesting that the move had fuelled public concerns about the independence of Nigeria’s electoral process and democratic institutions.
His remarks followed Tuesday’s unanimous judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which overturned the Federal High Court’s order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Abba Mohammed held that the suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL) was incompetent because the group lacked the legal standing to institute the action. The appellate court ruled that the trial court wrongly assumed jurisdiction and proceeded despite an earlier order directing it to suspend proceedings pending an appeal.
The Court of Appeal also criticised Justice Lifu’s conduct, describing it as “judicial impertinence” while referencing previous Supreme Court decisions that condemned judges who disregard orders from superior courts. The appellate court subsequently set aside the deregistration order, restored the legal status of the five political parties and awarded costs against the NFFL.
With the ruling, the ADC, APP, AA, Accord Party and ZLP remain duly registered political parties and are eligible to participate in Nigeria’s electoral process, including preparations for the 2027 general elections.
