INEC boss Mahmood risks jail over PDP Anambra crisis
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the judge faulted the letter by awomolo dated july 27 making an excuse for the inec chairmans absence in court on the grounds that the letter of awomolo contradicted that of the inec chairman dated july 291 the federal high court abuja on wednesday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of prof. mahmood yakubu chairman independent national electoral commission inec for flagrant disobedience of court orders1 on july 5 and 10 justice pam ordered mahmoud to appear in court and show cause why he should not be sent to prison for contempt of court1 at the resumed hearing mr adegboyega awomolo san counsel to mahmoud told the court that his client was absent in court because he was attending an urgent national assignment in mali1 justice pam in a short ruling held that the reason given by mahmoud was not tenable because he had refused three times to honour the court summons to defend the contempt charge against him1 the charges were brought against the inec chairman by mr ejike oguebego for his refusal to recognise him as chairman of the peoples democratic party pdp in anambra in compliance with a supreme court judgment of dec. 20141 justice pam maintained that the court would not fold its hands and allow a party who was a professor of law to turn it into a toothless dog1 it is sad that the contemnor and his counsel a senior lawyer have chosen not to obey the orders of this court in respect of this contempt charge1 the contempt of the contemnor to this court can no longer be tolerated and it should not be allowed to fester the judge said1 justice stephen pam gave the order following yakubus absence in court for the third time1 justice pam thereby ordered that mahmoud should be arrested for his flagrant disobedience of court orders by refusing to appear in court and adjourned the matter until aug. 81 a bench warrant is hereby issued against prof. yakubu mahmoud inec chaiman this repeated act of disobedience to court order to show cause can no longer be accepted by this court1 earlier the court struck out the fresh motion filed by awomolo on july 31 for stay of proceedings pending the outcome of an appeal on the matter1 the judge struck out the motion on the grounds that it was in contravention of section 360 of the administration of criminal justice act acja which did not allow a stay of proceedings in a criminal matter1 it will be recalled that oguebego had initiated contempt proceedings against the inec chairman for refusing to comply with a supreme court judgment of dec. 2014 to recognise him as pdp chairman1 counsel to oguebego mr james odiba had prayed the court to commit mahmoud to prison for not obeying the order1 he had told that court that on the contrary inec and its chairman were relating with another faction of the pdp in anambra1 in an interview with newsmen awomolo said that the judgment on which the contempt proceeding was initiated was delivered in 2014 when mahmoud was not yet inec chairman1 odiba however also told newsmen that government was a continuum and it behoved on whoever was in office to obey the judgment adding that no one was above the law1