Nigeria, June 16 -- A civil society organisation, Tap Initiative for Citizens' Development, has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the National Judicial Council (NJC), which she chairs, seeking an investigation into the conduct of Judge Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over his judgement ordering the deregistration of five political parties.

The organisation alleged that Judge Lifu delivered the judgement despite a pending appeal and a subsisting Court of Appeal order staying proceedings in the case.

It urged the NJC, the body with statutory powers to discipline Nigerian judges, to investigate Mr Lifu over "possible judicial misconduct" and sanction the judge of a wrongdoing is establishe...