Justice Pam orders IGP to produce INEC boss in court on August 14

Report by Carl Umegboro

THE Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) to produce the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu in court on August 14.

Justice Stephen Pam gave the order after Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), counsel to the INEC boss, informed the court that he did not know the whereabouts of his client.

It will be recalled that the court had on August 1 issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Mr Yakubu for copious disobedience to court orders over recognition of the authentic Anambra PDP-leadership as ruled by the apex court.

Prior to the election, two factions broke out from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Anambra state with parallel congresses and primaries for various positions. All efforts to harmonize the factions by the National Executive Council, NEC of the party proved abortive.

Strangely, the two factions had two brothers; Andy and Chris Ubah in opposite camps with their respective members. Chief Ejike Oguebego’s camp which was finally affirmed by the Supreme court as the authentic has Senator Annie Okonkwo, Hon. Julius Caesar Oforma, Chief Chris Ubah among others as candidates. Andy’s camp which lost out in the judgment was already sworn-in as beneficiaries of PDP victories in the state which led to the writ of mandamus to issue the candidates nominated by the affirmed camp certificates of return.

Justice Pam, consequently issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Yakubu.

”The IGP is hereby ordered to enforce it by bringing him to court on the next adjourned date.

Earlier, Mr Awomolo told the court that he had written a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, asking that the matter be transferred to another judge.

Mr. Gordy Uche (SAN), counsel to Ejike Oguebego, the plaintiff in the matter, however, opposed the application for an adjournment on the grounds that there was no basis for adjournment.

Mr Uche told the court that although Awomolo had written to seek the disqualification of the judge, the letter was not copied to him or the judge as he was only just informing the court. He submitted that the judge could not act on the letter since there had been no directive from the chief judge for him to act on the letter.

Mr Uche also argued that it was a special court constituted with a fiat to hear the contempt charge within a specific timeline. According to him, “as at today, the fiat has not been withdrawn and in spite of Awomolo’s letter, there has been no order from the chief judge directing Justice Pam to stop sitting on the matter.’’

Justice Pam had on July 5 and July 10 ordered Mr Yakubu to appear in court and show cause why he should not be sent to prison for contempt of court. Following his failure to appear in court on both occasions, the judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest on August 1. Thereafter, the court adjourned the matter to August 14 for continuation of committal proceedings.