APGA leadership crisis: INEC denies disobeying court orders

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it has always abided by court orders as a responsible organization that believes in the rule of law.

Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, said this in a statement in Abuja.

This followed an allegation by Chief Chekwas Okorie, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, that INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu was guilty of contempt of court for failure to recognise him as APGA National Chairman.

Oyekanmi described the claim as pure mischief.

NAN reports that Okorie had on Wednesday claimed that Yakubu was in contempt of court for disobeying a court order issued by Justice M. A. Madugu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court 40, Bwari in his judgement in Suit no. FCT/HC/CV/4068/2023 on Nov. 9, 2023.

He said the court found both Chief Victor Oye and Yakubu (1st and 2nd Defendant respectively) guilty of contempt of court in the matter of the APGA leadership dispute whereupon they refused to obey the orders of the Court handed down on them on May 10, 2023.

Oyekanmi said there would have been no need to respond to Okorie, but for the benefit of unsuspecting members of the public, it was necessary to put the matter in its proper context.

“This is a matter involving the leadership of APGA of which Okorie is not involved at all, but for reasons best known to him, he presented a twisted narrative to justify his unwarranted attack on the person of the Chairman of INEC.

”If Okorie had been diligent, he would have availed himself of the record of proceedings of the Court of Appeal (CA/ABJ/CV/724/2023) before making his spurious allegations.

“Nobody can be said to be in contempt of an Order of a lower Court when the matter is before a superior Court.

“Okorie should be cautious in making malicious allegations of this nature,” Oyekanmi said.