The Federal Capital Territory High Court 40, Bwari, has fixed November 9 for judgement on the contempt charges against Yakubu Mahmood, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Victor Oye, a former chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
According to information from the court, Justice Magudu Mohammed will rule on whether Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and his Co defendant, Victor Oye will lose their freedom and for how long, for disobeying a judgement of the Supreme Court recognising Chief Edozie Njoku as the national chairman of APGA.
After the judgement of the Supreme Court, Oye continued to parade himself as the national chairman of APGA and even conducted a Convention months later.
Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, on the other hand, pooh poohed the Supreme Court judgement by refusing to recognise Edozie Njoku as chairman of APGA, relying on a secret letter written by Hajo Sarki Bello, the Court’s registrar, which amounted to an interpretation of the Supreme Court judgement.
Sources at the Supreme Court told our reporters that when the letter was brought to the attention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kayode Ariwoola, he was livid and asked for an explanation from the Registrar.
‘”My brother, we thought the heavens will fall but only God knows how the Registrar has been able to cage the CJN. For the Registrar to give an interpretation to the judgment of a panel of five justices and nothing happened. Only in Ariwoola’s Court.”
Hajo Sarki Bello and Prof. Yakubu Mahmood have been friends since their days as students at Ahmadu Bello University.
Victor Oye’s lawyers, at the last hearing had informed Justice Madugu Mohammed that they had filed an appeal of his May 10, 2023 judgement enforcing the Supreme Court judgement and further ordering Oye to stop parading himself as national chairman of APGA and directing Yakubu Mahmood and INEC to recognise Edozie Njoku as National Chairman. However, Oye’s lawyers did not file a record of appeal with the FCT High Court and till date none has been filed.
Curiously, INEC, who had paraded a team of 3 Senior Advocates in an earlier hearing and pleaded with Justice Madugu Mohammed that they would obey the Court’s judgement, aligned with Oye’s non-existent appeal.
There is palpable tension at INEC as the news broke this evening that the judgement will come on Thursday.
‘Will this be the end of the road for Yakubu Mahmood whose reputation as an arrogant public official who has shown disdain for Nigeria’s judiciary, resorting to all kinds of tactics to manipulate and disregard orders of the courts?’ Thursday…