Alleged contempt: Court orders service of charge, others on INEC chairman

Mahmood

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered substituted service on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, of all documents relating to a contempt proceeding initiated against him by one of the nation’s political parties, the National Rescue Movement (NRM).

In a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted leave to NRM to serve the Form 48 (notice of the consequence of disobedience of a court order) and all other documents on the INEC Chairman by delivering them to any staff of the commission at its national headquarters in Abuja.

Justice Egwuatu ordered the NRM to ensure that the name of the person who received the documents on behalf of Prof. Yakubu is disclosed in the affidavit of service to be filed in the court later.

The judge adjourned till July 15 for mention.

The ruling was on an ex parte motion moved on Tuesday by NRM’s lawyer, Oladimeji Ekengba, who claimed that INEC and Prof. Yakubu failed to comply with an order of mandamus made by the court on March 5, directing them to accept the outcome of an emergency national convention that produced Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of the NRM. Nation