The Federal high court, Abuja, on Tuesday insisted that the Inspector-general of Police need to arrest and produce the Chairman, independent national Electoral commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in court on Aug. 16.
Justice Stephen Pam gave the order following the absence of Yakubu’s team of lawyers in court and there was no clarification as to why they had been absent.
Pam said, “on the commencement of proceedings, counsel for the applicant, Kanayo Okafor, informed the court that the court of appeal on Monday requested the court to stay proceedings in the matter.
“The counsel for the respondent is not in court and no cause has been given for their absence.
“The contempt proceedings and the bench warrant issued for the arrest of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman still subsists, the I-G is to carry out the order of the arrest of Yakubu.
“This court being a court of record has nothing to show that there has been an order for stay from the court of appeal.”
But, whilst the judge was delivering his ruling, a lawyer in the team of Yakubu’s counsel walked into the courtroom and made attempts to call the judge’s attention to his presence.
This was, but, in useless as Justice Pam adjourned the case until Aug. 16 for continuation.
It was gathered that the counsel was late due to the fact that he was at the court of appeal making efforts to get the ruling to give to the lower court, but the ruling was not yet ready.
The court had on August 1, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Yakubu for “flagrant” disobedience of court orders.
Additionally, the courtroom of appeal vacated the arrest order on Monday and ordered a live of court cases pending the determination of the substantial case.
The decrease court docket, but, insisted that no such order were communicated to it and being a court docket of record, it wanted a record to reveal that there has been such an order and no longer verbal information.
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