By Anifowoshe Oladipupo
The Federal High Court in Abuja has served the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, with a contempt charge initiated by the National Rescue Movement (NRM).
Court bailiff Ayuba Sule delivered the Form 48 at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, acting on a June 17 ruling by Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
Form 48 is a legal notice that outlines the consequences of disobeying a valid court order and marks the beginning of contempt proceedings.
Justice Egwuatu had granted an order for substituted service, allowing the bailiff to deliver the documents to any INEC staff member after previous attempts to serve the chairman directly failed.
In a statement released Friday by the NRM’s National Publicity Secretary, Anselem Nebeife, the party alleged that INEC officials initially resisted receiving the documents.
According to the statement, the bailiff first approached the INEC chairman’s office, where staff requested identification.
After inspecting the document, they redirected him to the legal department.
At the legal department, another staff member reportedly looked at the document, realized it was Form 48, and refused to accept it.
Frustrated, Sule left the documents in front of the department and exited the premises.
The contempt charge stems from INEC’s alleged refusal to comply with a mandamus order issued on March 5, which directed the commission to recognize the outcome of the NRM’s emergency national convention held on January 17.
The convention elected Chief Edozie Njoku as the party’s national chairman and was convened to fill executive vacancies and resolve internal imbalances.
NRM’s counsel, Oladimeji Ekengba, argued that INEC and its chairman were fully aware of the court order but had willfully ignored it, prompting the legal action now underway.
