Sunday Ejike Benjamin
9 November 2009
Abuja — The Court of Appeal Abuja has threatened to jail chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Maurice Iwu and his officials should they continue disobeying the judgement of its sister court in Calabar.
The appeal Court in Calabar had ordered that a member representing Uyo Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom state in the House of Representatives, Bassey Etim, should vacate his seat to pave way the swearing of Chief Emmanuel Obot, who had been declared winner of the April 2007 election.
But since the court sitting as an appeal tribunal made the pronouncement in February 12, 2009, Obot has neither been issued a certificate of return by INEC, nor Etim asked to vacate his seat.
The other three officials of the commission facing contempt proceedings before the Court are Mr. Philip Umeadi (jnr.), Mr. Victor Chukwuani and Prince Adedeji Goyebi.
In a contempt proceedings instituted against Iwu and the three officials of the commission, Obot asked the appellate Court to compel INEC to obey the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Calabar.
In a notice of consequences of disobedience to order of Court, the appeal Court in Abuja warned Iwu and other INEC officials against any form of contempt to its order.
The order signed by the Court Registrar warned that unless Iwu obeys the order within seven days he will be guilty of contempt of Court and will be liable to be committed to prison.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered accelerated hearing in the appeal filed by Etim against the decision of the Court of appeal, Abuja which affirmed that he was not the lawful candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2007 House of Representatives election for Uyo Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State.
The Apex Court adjourned the matter to December 8 for hearing.
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