The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has ordered a stay of execution of the arrest warrant issued against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu.
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The Appeal Court said the court should stay action pending the initial appeal made by Yakubu in the case before it.
The warrant of arrest was issued against Yakubu by Justice Stephen Pam of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He accused Yakubu of contempt, having failed to appear before him for three consecutive times.
The court had summoned him to appear to defend the contempt suit instituted against him by the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State, Ejike Oguebego.
But Yakubu had, through his lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), filed an appeal before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal challenging the warrant of arrest issued against him.
Awomolo, in the six-ground notice of appeal, said, “No order was enrolled and served on Professor Mahmood Yakubu for his personal appearance in court.”
He also said the court did not give Professor Yakubu or his counsel opportunity to explain his absence in court and why the bench warrant should not be issued.
Besides, Awomolo informed the court that his client was absent from court because he was leading a team of electoral officers from the Economic Community of West African States to Mali.
