Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the just concluded 2019 general election has threatened to embark on a mission that will lead to the imprisonment of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC by filing a contempt charge against him.
This is due to an alleged refusal by the electoral body to allow the PDP candidate to allow Atiku and his party access to the materials used durong the conduct of the presidential poll despite an order issued by the Court of Appeal.
The former vice president also pointed accusing finger at INEC for being bias and spreading falsehood and he will likely to sue the commission next week over contempt.
It will be recalled that an order of the Court of Appeal on March 6 compelled INEC to allow the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alongside his party to inspect and obtain Certified True Copy (CTC) of election materials used during the conduct of the presidential poll.
Atiku’s camp claims that INEC was yet to comply with the Atiku legal team, adding that it would have no choice but to seek the committal of Yakubu to prison for alleged disobedience to a valid order of court.
A respected legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome, told the popular newspaper ThisDay that every step by the legal team to effect the implementation of the court order were frustrated by the stance of the electoral body.
The statement by the senior legal practitioner reads below.
“They have refused to cooperate with the Atiku legal team by making accessible to them ballot papers, electoral materials and other devices used during the election, which the Court of Appeal, Abuja ordered them to give to Atiku nearly two months ago.
“They have bluntly refused to do this. Every day we send lawyers there, they would not cooperate.
“If that be the case, they will likely force the Atiku legal team to issue forms 48 and 49 against INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to be imprisoned for contempt of court because that is the only weapon in the hands of a person who had secured the order of a court, which is being violated with impunity just as INEC is currently doing.
“INEC had before, during and after the election maintained that they have a central server, which results from polling units will be transmitted electronically.
“It is on U-tube, online videos, newspapers, social media and others, yet the same INEC is suddenly filing a reply denying this thing.”
SOURCE: DAILYPOST
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