Alex Enumah in Abuja
The absence of Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday stalled delivery of a judgement in a suit seeking the de-registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), over alleged constitutional breaches.
It would be recalled that Justice Lifu had on May 20, adjourned to June 5, to decide whether the affected parties should be allowed to participate in future elections in the country, having failed to win any seat in previous elections.
However, the judgement could not be delivered as scheduled due to the absence of the judge.
At the scheduled date, litigants and lawyers were all in court, including journalists and after waiting for nearly two hours, one of the court’s registrars announced to the court that the matter would not go on as scheduled due to the judge’s engagement with other official duties outside Abuja.
The registrar added that a new date for the delivery of the judgement would be communicated to parties in the suit, once it has been fixed.
Justice Lifu had last month fixed June 5, for judgement after taking arguments from all parties in the suit seeking the deregistration of the above political parties over alleged constitutional breaches.
He had also dismissed an application for stay of proceedings as well as applications seeking to be joined as an interested party.
The court had predicated the refusal on the grounds that granting a stay of proceedings at that stage would cause hardship on the litigants, especially as political parties were already expected to submit names of candidates ahead of upcoming elections.
Lifu had recalled that the Supreme Court had repeatedly cautioned lower courts against granting undue stay of proceedings, adding that since the applicants had already approached the Court of Appeal, the trial court should be allowed to conclude hearing of the matter unless otherwise directed by the appellate court.
“It is my considered view not to grant the stay except otherwise decided by the upper court,” the judge said, adding that all issues raised by the applicants lacked merit and were accordingly dismissed.
On the joinder applications, Lifu explained that most of the political parties seeking to be represented were already defendants in the suit, making the inclusion of individual members unnecessary.
Justice Lifu consequently dismissed the applications seeking to be joined in the suit by 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th defendants.
The applicants included incumbent governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke and a governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Oluwafemi Abayomi Adebambi both of the Accord party, and Hon Sani Yakubu Noma of the ADC.
The court also heard arguments on an application by counsel to the APP, Peter Abang, seeking dismissal of the suit on grounds that issues raised had already been argued before the appellate court.
In a brief ruling, Justice Lifu stated that the court would consider the decision of the Court of Appeal as relates to this matter alongside issues raised by parties before delivering judgement.
He subsequently directed parties to amend and adopt their final processes in line with the accelerated hearing earlier ordered by the court.
The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and several political parties, including the ADC, Action Alliance, APP, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party.
