APGA Leadership Tussle: Court Orders Service Of Committal Charge On INEC Chairman, Oye

2023-07-17 10:05:00

Independent Newspapers Nigeria

ABUJA - A Federal Capital Territory High Court presided over by Justice Mohammed Madugu has ordered that committal processes be served on Mahmoud Yakubu, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, and Chief Victor Oye through their lawyers.

The court equally fixed September 11 for hearing of the motion seeking jail terms for Yakubu and Oye for disobeying court order.

The committal charge emanated from a suit marked: FCT/ HC/CV/4068/2023), filed in April 2023, by Otunba Camaru Lateef Ogidan (National Vice Chairman, South West geopolitical zone, APGA) and Mustapha Rabiu (National Welfare Officer) against Oye.

At a resumed sitting at the weekend, Michael Ajara, counsel for the plaintiffs/applicant's applied for leave of court to move the committal application.

But Victor Agunzi, counsel for Oye opposed, saying that no committal application was served on them.

He said the newspaper publications for substituted service served on them were not readable, arguing that one of the newspapers was not a national daily.

"As it stands, we have not been served with that motion for committal" Oye's lawyer argued.

Abdulazeez Sani SAN, who represented INEC chairman, said the application was not ripe for hearing having been served on them on July 13 and that he has seven days to react.

Ruling, the court held that "in the interest of justice and fair hearing, since committal proceeding due to its criminal nature affects the liberty of an individual, it is hereby ordered that all processes in this court be served on the counsel for the 1st and 2nd respondents since they are in court.

"It is deemed as personal service. Matter adjourned to September 11 for hearing, the court held."

Recall that Oye is facing committal charge for refusing to obey the Supreme Court judgment by falsely parading himself as the National Chairman of APGA, and the INEC Chairman for wrongly obliging Oye recognition contrary to the March 24 2023 Supreme Court judgment, which had ordered that Oye's name be deleted from anything that has to do with APGA.

Aside that, both men had disobeyed an injunctive order made by Justice Madugu on May 10 2023, which restrained Oye (1st respondent) from pa

2023-07-17 News