Anambra PDP initiates contempt proceedings against INEC, Jega

 Anambra PDP initiates contempt proceedings against INEC, Jega

FOR allegedly flouting an order of the Federal High Court, Abuja with regard to the outcome of the National Assembly primaries held in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra has initiated contempt proceedings against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega.
  In a motion for committal filed by the party on December 31, 2014, Prof. Jega was accused of disobeying a December 5, 2014 order of the court restraining INEC from accepting “any delegate list or nominated candidates” from the congresses or primaries conducted by the caretaker committee purportedly set up by the party’s national leadership to manage the affairs of the Anambra PDP.
  Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja had, in his December 5, 2014 judgment in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/854/2014 filed by the Chairman and the Legal Secretary of Anambra PDP – Ejike Oguebego and Chuks Okoye – (for themselves and the state’s Executive Committee of the party), upheld the plaintiffs’ leadership of the party.
  In doing so, Justice Chukwu had also declared the Caretaker Committee “illegal” on the ground that it was “wrongly” constituted while the tenure of the Oguebego-led exco was yet to expire. He restrained INEC and its agents from accepting any delegate list or nominated candidates from primaries or congresses conducted by the “illegal” committee.
  The party, in its motion on notice filed by its lawyer, Taiwo Abe, seeks, among others, “an order committing Prof. Attahiru Jega, Chairman, INEC for contempt of court for disobeying and refusing to comply with the order of this court made on December 5, 2014 and served on him on December 8, 2014.”
  It also seeks an order directing INEC, “particularly its Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega – contemnor to comply forthwith with the orders of the court made on December 5, 2014.”
  The Anambra PDP led by Oguebego hinged its prayers on the grounds that INEC and its chairman were yet to obey the December 5 order and that their refusal to obey the order had adversely affected the nominated candidates that emerged from the National Assembly primary it conducted. 
 “Except the order sought for in this application is granted, the 2nd defendant (INEC), particularly its Chairman, Jega will continue to disobey and refuse to comply with the orders except they are compelled to do so,” the applicants said.
  On December 31, the vacation judge at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, ordered the service of the processes in relation to the committal proceedings and hearing notices on INEC and Jega. 
The judge adjourned further proceedings in the case to January 7. This would be heard by Justice Chukwu.