Edozie Njoku, the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), requested yesterday that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), acknowledge him as the national chairman.
During a press briefing in Abuja, Chief Edozie Njoku, the party's national chairman, revealed this information and warned the INEC chairman that he could face jail time for contempt.
According to him, the INEC chairman has already received an order from the court designating him (Njoku) as the national chairman.
He declared that the INEC chairman and the others would be sentenced to prison for disobeying the court's order upon their return to the court on November 29, 2023.
The party chair said, Nigerians need to support the judiciary institution in order to protect it from those who are determined to undermine justice in order to destroy its sanctity and integrity.
He recalled that on November 9, 2023, Mahmood was given a 14-day ultimatum by FCT High Court 40 (Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/4068/2023) to acknowledge him as the national chairman of APGA or face jail time. Chief Victor Oye had taken Mahmood there in November 2022 on a criminal charge, alleging that he had forged a Supreme Court judgment. As a result, he was placed under remand at Suleja Prison for two days.
He said: “Today is November 24, 2023. That is, 5 days away from November 29, 2023, the adjourned date for Mahmood to be sent to jail. By its judgement, the Court found Mahmood and Oye culpable, but out of leniency gave them a 14 days window to purge themselves or prepare for jail.
“Rather than do the needful, INEC headed by Yakubu Mahmood in collaboration with Oye have headed to the Appeal Court, boasting that they have procured enough Judges to ensure that the contempt charge dangling over their heads end up as exercise in futility. Should INEC not be immediately recognizing me?
“However, there are far reaching implications to INEC’s posturing and grandstanding. It signals an internment to competent Court orders in Nigeria. INEC, led by Mahmood, simply wants to prove to the world that it has immunity.”