The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, has filed an appeal against the judgement of a federal high court that ordered for his arrest.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of theINEC boss for disobedience of a court order. Justice Stephen Pam gave the order for the arrest of Mahmoud following his absence in court to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for alleged contempt of court.
Ejike Oguebego had filed a contempt charge against INEC and its chairman for their refusal to recognize him as PDP chairman in Anambra State in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment of December 2014.
Counsel to Mahmoud, chief Adegboyega Awomolo had informed the court that Mahmoud was not in court because he was attending an important national assignment in Mali. But Justice Pam dismissed the reason advanced by Mahmoud’s counsel as not tenable because the INEC chief had on three occasions refused to honour the summons to appear in court to defend the contempt charges brought against him by Ejike Oguebego.
Consequently, the judge ordered that the INEC chairman be arrested for his persistent refusal to appear in court and adjourned further proceedings to August the 8th 2018.
