ABUJA –Â The political feud rocking the Delta state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has assumed another dimension following the filing of a contempt charge against the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomole and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The contempt proceeding filed by aggrieved chieftains of APC at the Federal High Court Abuja was sequel to the alleged disobedience of a court order by the APC and INEC.
Oshiomhole and Yakubu were alleged to have disobeyed the order of court in the suit marked FHC/ASB/CS/76/2018, filed by the Chief Cyril Ogodo led exco of the APC in Delta state.
In the said court order in reference dated October 17, 2018 and signed by the Registrar of the court, Ejike Onwukobu, Justice T. B. Adegoke, sitting in Asaba division of the Court had while adjourning the case ordered parties to maintain status quo by not taking any further steps that could destroy the res in the case.
In spite of the above order of court, the National Chairman of the APC, Oshiomole still went ahead to submit names of purported National Assembly candidates from Delta APC to INEC and the Commission also went ahead to receive and publish such names.
The Ogodo faction instituted the suit against the APC, Oshiomhole, INEC and Prophet Erue over the issue of the authentic list of candidates that emerged from the parallel primaries conducted in the state by the two contending state executives of the party in Delta State.
The primary conducted by the Ogodo led exco produced Prof Pat Utomi and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor as Governorship and Senatorial candidates respectively while that of Prophet Jones Erue produced Chief Great Ogboru and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as Governorship and Senatorial candidates respectively.
Meanwhile, a notice of consequence of disobedience to a valid court order contained in Form 48 has been issued on Oshiomhole and Yakubu.
Other defendants in the contempt proceedings are the All Progressives Congress; members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and Prophet Jones Erue, factional Chairman of the Delta state chapter of APC.
While Oshiomole is cited for contempt for submitting list of National Assembly candidates for Delta state to INEC against a subsisting order of court, Prof. Yakubu ‎is alleged to be in contempt for accepting and publishing such names.
In a statement on Sunday, counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Mike Ozekhome, (SAN) said his clients have commenced contempt proceedings against the defendants by filling before the court, Form 48 which is ‘Notice of Consequence of disobedience to order of Court.’
The said Form 48 dated November 1, 2018 simply reads: “Take notice that unless you obey the direction contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and you will be liable to be committed to prison”.
The statement called on the ruling APC “to deviate from the bad precedence, already set for so far, by the government which is notorious for disobeying court orders, at least, to regain the battered and shattered confidence of Nigerians.
It equally called on the judiciary to rise up in defence of its jurisdiction and the rule of law, “as it can no longer hold itself out as a toothless bulldog that can only bark but cannot bite.”
The post Delta APC Crisis: Oshiomole, INEC Chairman Risk Jail Term appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Delta APC Crisis: Oshiomole, INEC Chairman Risk Jail Term
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