YDP: Appeal Court Commences Committal Proceedings Against INEC Chairman
The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has commenced committal proceedings against the chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, for disobeying its judgment directing the commission to issue a certificate of registration to Young Democratic Party (YDP) as a duly registered political party as at May 2, 2015.Already, Form 49 has been issued against the INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu by the appellate court commanding him to show cause why an order of committal to prison should not be made against him.The party is pressing for an order committing Yakubu to prison for refusing or neglecting to obey the order of the Court of Appeal dated December 8, 2015, affirming and confirming the judgement of the trial court delivered on March 4, 2015 and dismissing the appeal by the electoral body.The appellate court had in its judgement of December 8, 2015, granted all the reliefs of the party to the effect that it was a deemed registered as a political party as at May 2, 2014 considering section 78 (4) of the Electoral Act.The court which dismissed the appeal by INEC directed that it’s judgement and that of the lower court must be obeyed to the letter.In a 16-paragraphs affidavit in support of the contempt application, the National leader of YDP, Hon. Henry Nwabueze deposed that the Court of Appeal had on December 8, 2015, delivered judgment in favour of the party to the effect that the appeal of the INEC lacks merit and was accordingly dismissed while the judgement of the lower court delivered on March 4, 2015, was confirmed and affirmed.
