Following his refusal to appear before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Justice Stephen Pam issued a warrant of arrest for the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu.

Justice Pam issued the warrant of arrest on Wednesday after Yakubu’s absent in court for the third time. He asked the police to effect the arrest immediately.

The judge had on July 5 ordered Yakubu to appear before him on July 10 to show cause why he should not be sent to prison for contempt of court. He made the order while ruling on a preliminary objection by INEC and its Chairman in a contempt proceeding filed by Ejike Oguebego and Chuks Okoye, Chairman and Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State, respectively.

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But when the court sat on July 10, Yakubu did not show up. His counsel, Mr Adeboyega Awomolo, told the court that his client had filed an appeal challenging that order at the appeal court and another appeal before the Federal High Court asking for a stay of proceedings pending the determination of the appeal.

But counsel to the plaintiff informed the court that contrary to the claims of the INEC counsel there was no material evidence before the court to stop the order of the court or the hearing.

Justice Pam ruled that the fiat by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to hear the matter subsists.

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The judge, however, adjourned the case to August 1 to allow the INEC chairman to attend to his mother’s funeral. He insisted that the INEC boss must appear before the court as ordered at the next sitting.

But when the court reconvened today, the INEC Chairman was absent, a development that led to the order for his arrest.

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