Deregistration: Appeal Court should stop Justice Lifu from sitting as judge – Maxwell Okpara

Human rights lawyer, Maxwell Okpara, has said the Court of Appeal should have made an order directing Justice Peter Lifu to stop sitting as judge in court.

Okpara made this statement on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’.

He was reacting to the judgment given by Justice Lifu to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ordering it to deregister the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and other political parties.

Meanwhile, the Appeal Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered a stay of execution of the judgment.

Okpara expressed wonder what law students on internship under the judge would learn with his recent judgment.

“I want to also thank Court of Appeal for coming to rescue judiciary. It’s not enough for Court of Appeal to describe Justice Lifus’ judgment as a rascality.

“The Appeal Court should have also gone ahead making an order directing that he should stop sitting until the National Judicial Council, NJC, looks at the circumstances that gave rise for a lower court to jettison the decision of a higher court and give a ruling.

“So, now the question there is that for those law students who are on court attachment in that court, what are they learning,” he asked.