The founder and pioneer chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie is asking the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to resign, having been found guilty of contempt by a Federal High Court.
In a press statement released by Okorie, the APGA founder stated, “In a landmark judgment delivered by Hon. Justice M. A. Madugu of the Federal Capital High Court 40, Bwari in Suit no.
“FCT/HC/CV/4068/2023 on the 9th of November, 2023, the court found Chief Victor Oye (1st Defendant) and Professor Mahmood Yakubu (2nd Defendant) guilty of contempt of court in the matter of the APGA leadership dispute whereupon the contemnors refused to obey the orders of the Court handed down on them on 10th May, 2023.
Hon. Justice M. A. Madugu, in his well considered judgment, affirmed as follows:
“It is well established in the legal jurisprudence that court orders must be obeyed and respected. Parties to litigation are duty bound to adhere to the directives of the court.
Disobedience of court orders undermines the sanctity of the judiciary and the rule of law. The 1st and 2nd Respondents have committed contempt by disobeying the subsisting order of this court made on 10/5/2023, and I so hold.
This impunity can not continue. This political insanity has to stop.
The acceptance of candidates by the 2nd Respondent that are products of the congress presided over by the 1st Respondent, Chief Victor Ike Oye, held on 31st May, 2023, in defiance of the order of this court made on 10th May, 2023, is undoubtedly an affront to order of this court under review.
Having established the disobedience of the 1st Respondent and 2nd Respondent to the order of this court made on 10/5/2023, and since the purpose of committal proceedings is to ensure that the orders of the Court are upheld and respected, I hereby adopt a lenient view and order the 1st and 2nd Respondents should purge themselves of contempt within 14 working days effective from today, the 9th day of day of November, 2023.
Case is hereby adjourned till 29/11/2023 to enable the Respondents to purge themselves of the contempt or face the wrath of the law.”
Okorie in his statement gave reason for the suit by APGA chieftains.
“It was the refusal of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of INEC, to obey the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on 24th March, 2023, which affirmed Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA that compelled Otunba Camaru Lateef Ogidan and Alhaji Rabiu Mustapha, members of the National Working Committee of APGA to approach the FCT High Court for the enforcement of the Supreme Court judgment in accordance with the clear provisions of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.”
The Oje Ozi Ndigbo stated that Prof.Yakubu in furtherance of his disdain for court orders did not even attempt to appeal his conviction for contempt nor purge himself of same.
He also pointed to a rare and curious development in Nigeria’s jurisprudence, where sentencing of guilty parties are arrested by the Court of Appeal and an obvious collusion between INEC and Victor Oye, the other guilty party in the matter.
“Neither Professor Mahmood Yakubu nor INEC has appealed against the judgment that found him guilty of contempt of court orders, but curiously, Chief Victor Oye, on the 28th of November, 2023, managed to secure an order of the Court of Appeal restraining the FCT High Court from proceeding with the sentencing of the contemnors which was to take place next day on the 29th of November, 2023.
“It is rare to arrest the sentencing of contemnors who have been found guilty of contempt of court orders, but this is Nigeria where anything is possible.
“Vowing that he and patriots like him would continue to speak against injustice, he implored other Nigerians to intercede on this issue of Mahmood’s disdain for the judiciary.
“I call on the Hon. Minister of Justice, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offenses Commission, ICPC, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, the Civil Society Organizations, CSO, Pro-democracy organizations and other well-meaning compatriots to demand the immediate resignation of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the Chairman of INEC.
“It is not only scandalous but utterly embarrassing and shameful that a contemnor is allowed to remain as the Chairman of INEC that superintendents the elections and democratic process in Nigeria.
“The impunity and unbridled arrogance of Professor Mahmood Yakubu must be halted now to protect our multiparty democracy.”
