INEC Chairman served contempt charge over alleged disobedience of court order
By Jeffrey Agbo
A court bailiff has served the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, with a contempt charge initiated by the National Rescue Mission (NRM) over alleged disobedience of a court order.
The service was carried out on Thursday at the INEC headquarters in Abuja by court bailiff Ayuba Sule, in line with a directive issued by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on June 17.
The bailiff served a Form 48—a legal notice warning of the consequences of disobeying a valid court order and the first step in contempt and committal proceedings.
The court had earlier granted the NRM’s request for substituted service, allowing the documents to be delivered to any INEC staff member due to challenges in serving Professor Yakubu directly.
In a statement on Friday, the NRM’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anselem Nebeife, revealed that INEC officials initially resisted receiving the documents.
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“Mr Ayuba first visited the INEC chairman’s office, but his staff requested identification.
“Ayuba presented his official ID card, but after reading the document, the staff returned it to him and directed him to the legal department.
“At the legal department, another staff member glanced at the document and quickly returned it.
“Frustrated by their behaviour, Ayuba placed the court order and accompanying Form 48 in front of the legal department and left the commission,” the statement read.
Justice Egwuatu had issued the substituted service order after hearing an ex parte motion filed by the NRM’s counsel, Mr. Oladimeji Ekengba. He argued that INEC had failed to comply with a mandamus order dated March 5, which directed the Commission to recognise the outcome of an emergency convention that elected Chief Edozie Njoku as the party’s new leader.
Ekengba explained that the January 17 convention was convened to fill leadership vacancies and resolve internal imbalances within the party’s National Executive Committee.
The party accused INEC of deliberately ignoring the court’s judgment despite being fully aware of its implications.
“To prevent this honourable court from being rendered impotent and to uphold the cause of justice, the registrar issued Form 48 to the chairman of the respondent, directing him to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for failing to comply with the court’s judgement,” stated an affidavit sworn to by Mr. Adebayo Wasiu.
The affidavit also described the difficulties in serving Professor Yakubu personally, citing INEC’s internal policy of processing legal documents only through a designated registry at the gate of its premises.
The court has scheduled the matter for mention on July 15.
, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, with a contempt charge initiated by the National Rescue Mission (NRM) over alleged disobedience of a court order.){kind=link}