Contempt: INEC Boss Must Be Arrested, Court Insists …As INEC Registers 23 New Parties, Extends Voters Registration Deadline To August 31

The Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday insisted that the Inspector-General of Police must arrest and produce the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in court on August 16.
Justice Stephen Pam gave the order following the absence of Yakubu’s team of lawyers in court and there was no explanation as to why they were absent.
Pam said, “At the commencement of proceedings, counsel for the applicant, Kanayo Okafor, informed the court that the Court of Appeal last Monday asked the court to stay proceedings in the matter.
“The counsel for the respondent is not in court and no reason 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 prove that there was an order for stay from the Court of Appeal.”
However, while the judge was delivering his ruling, a lawyer in the team of Yakubu’s counsel walked into the court and made attempts to call the judge’s attention to his presence.
This was, however, in vain as Justice Pam adjourned the matter until August 16 for continuation.
It was gathered that the counsel was late because he was at the Court of Appeal making efforts to get the ruling to present to the lower court, but the ruling was not yet ready.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered 23 new political parties ahead of the 2019 general elections. This brings the number of political parties to 91.
According to a report, INEC has also extended the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by two weeks. It said the exercise would now end on August 31, 2018.
The commission initially said it would suspend the exercise on August 17 until after the 2019 general elections.
This is even as the national chairpersons and secretaries of the 23 new parties have been invited to receive their respective certificates of registration at the INEC headquarters on August 16 in Abuja.