National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has cautioned against political interference in the judiciary following the Court of Appeal’s decision to halt the deregistration of the ADC and four other political parties.

Mark said the judiciary was under intense public scrutiny and urged the Federal Government to refrain from actions capable of undermining democratic institutions.

The development came after the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday granted a stay of execution of a Federal High Court judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The appellate court also delivered a strong rebuke to Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for proceeding to deliver the judgment despite an earlier order restraining him from doing so.

In a unanimous ruling delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice A.B. Mohammed, the court described Justice Lifu’s action as a serious violation of judicial hierarchy and constitutional order.

According to the panel, the trial court’s decision to proceed with the judgment despite an express order from the appellate court amounted to a brazen disregard for the authority of a superior court and the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

The court further cited Supreme Court precedents, describing the conduct as “judicial impertinence” and noting that such actions had previously been characterized as “judicial rascality.”

Emphasizing its responsibility to protect the integrity of the judiciary, the Court of Appeal held that it possessed supervisory authority over lower courts and was obligated to ensure compliance with its orders.

Consequently, the court granted the application for a stay of execution, effectively suspending enforcement of the judgment pending the determination of the appeal.

Justice Lifu had on Monday ordered INEC to deregister the five political parties, ruling that they failed to meet the constitutional requirements stipulated under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution. The judge held that the parties did not satisfy performance thresholds, including securing at least 25 percent of votes in specified states or winning elective seats during the 2023 general elections.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, however, INEC distanced itself from the judgment. Counsel to the commission, Haliru Mohammed, informed the appellate court that INEC only became aware of the ruling through media reports and had received no official notice regarding its delivery.

Mohammed noted that the commission was aware of the Court of Appeal’s earlier order restraining the lower court from delivering the judgment and therefore did not oppose the application seeking a stay of execution.

INEC also indicated its support for the notice of appeal filed by the affected political parties.

Counsel to the ADC, Shuaibu Aruwa (SAN), further told the court that notice of the judgment was communicated to the party via WhatsApp, a revelation that reportedly drew reactions from members of the appellate panel.

Aruwa described the trial court’s actions as an invitation to anarchy and urged the Court of Appeal to consider disciplinary measures against Justice Lifu.

He argued that the appellate court had both the authority and responsibility to protect the integrity of the judicial system by taking swift action against conduct that undermines the rule of law.

Following the appellate court’s ruling, the ADC and the four other affected parties remain legally recognized and will continue to participate in Nigeria’s electoral process pending the final resolution of the appeal.