Court Sets September 14 for Hearing on Motion to Commit INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu to Prison
Bwari, Federal Capital Territory – A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Bwari has fixed September 14 for the hearing of a significant motion seeking to commit Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to prison for allegedly defying a court order.
The motion was filed by Otunba Ogidan and Mustapha Rabiu, who were elected as the national vice chairman of the southwest geopolitical zone of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and national welfare officer, respectively, during a convention in Owerri, Imo State, on May 31, 2019.
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In their application, Ogidan and Rabiu alleged that Mahmood Yakubu disregarded the court’s interim injunction issued on May 10. This injunction had directed all parties in the suit to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the substantive suit scheduled for September 28.
The specific accusations against Mahmood Yakubu include his refusal to recognize Edozie Njoku as the rightful national chairman of APGA and the publication of names of governorship candidates for off-cycle governorship polls in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa, which they claim did not originate from Njoku.
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The plaintiffs further alleged that INEC continued to recognize Victor Oye, the factional chairman of APGA, in defiance of the court order. They claimed that Oye held a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party in direct violation of the court injunction, which had prohibited him from convening any meeting or conducting any campaign or convention in the name of the party.
During the proceedings, the court’s chief registrar, Joseph Igboyi, confirmed that the motion seeking to commit Yakubu to prison had been served on him on July 13. However, the original copy of the proof of service could not be located in the court file.
The bailiff, Musa Abdulwahab, acknowledged removing the original copy of the proof of service from the file but did not provide a reason for doing so.
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The presiding judge, Mohammed Madugu, adjourned the hearing on Oye’s matter to September 28 for further proceedings.
The upcoming hearing on September 14 will be closely watched as it addresses the allegations of disobedience of a court order, which carries significant legal implications.
For more legal updates and developments, visit Politics In Nigeria.
