The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmoud Yakubu have been dragged before a Federal High Court, Abuja, over asset declaration.
The plaintiff, Hon. Emmanuel Agonsi, in an ex-parte motion with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/33/2021 filed by his counsel, Barrister E. C. Muokwudo, prayed the court to direct the CCB to produce to the court, the certified copies of the asset declaration form of the INEC chairman and his unmarried adult children kept by the CCB.
The plaintiff also prayed the court to order the CCB to produce the asset declaration form of Prof. Yakubu for the period of 2007 to 2012 and 2015 to 2020.
On December 20, 2020, the plaintiff had written the CCB seeking information on the asset declaration form of the INEC chairman.
The letter acknowledged by the Office of the Chairman of the CCB, reads, "I am the promoter of public officer integrity and accountability forum, with the aim of fighting corruption and allied vices among public officers in Nigeria. Accordingly, pursuant to Section 1 of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2011 and based on the information and records of Assets Declaration Forms of public officers including Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and his unmarried adult children kept by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), I hereby specifically apply to be furnished with the following information."
Some of the assets the plaintiff is praying the court to declare open are, details of asset declaration made by Prof. Yakubu when he held office as TETFUND Executive Secretary between 2007 and 2012 and as INEC chairman.
