Politics
INEC chairman Yakubu risks arrest over contempt
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has threatened to order the arrest of the Chairman INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, if he fails to appear before it to answer to contempt proceedings pending against him and the commission.
Justice John Tsoho made the threat in Abuja on Monday in his ruling on arguments on whether or not the physical presence of INEC and its Chairman was necessary for the court to determine the contempt proceedings initiated against them by the chairman of the Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ejike Oguebego and its legal adviser, Chuks Okoye.
Read also: Abia: Certificate of Return already issued to Ogah, before Ikpeazu’s appeal notice, INEC tells court
The judge, who rejected the argument by INEC and Yakubu’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) that the nature of the contempt proceedings against his client was civil and could be determined without their physical presence, said whether civil or criminal, contempt proceedings are always quasi-criminal, which required the physical presence of the alleged contemnor in court for him/her to be heard on whether or not the order of committal should be made.
Relying on the provisions of Order 9, Rule 14 of the Judgment Enforcement Rules, Justice Tsoho said it was the duty of the court’s Registrar to issue and serve Forms 48 and 49 on a party in disobedience of court’s order for him/her to attend court, failing which a bench warrant may be issued against him/her to attend court and show cause.
“I hold that the alleged contemnors are under obligation to appear before this court to show cause why an order of committal should not be made against them,” the judge said.
Justice Tsoho, who specifically directed the alleged contemnors to present themselves in court on Thursday (July 7), said “a bench warrant will be issued for their arrest” .
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