Judge issues Oshiomole, INEC boss contempt of court notice, says both will go to prison

The Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has issued a contempt notice on the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole and the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, over disobedience to court orders.

The court in its sitting Thursday, issued against Oshiomhole and INEC Chairman Form 48, notice of Consequence of Disobedience to court order, and warned that: “Take notice that unless you obey the direction contained in the order, you will be guilty of contempt and you will be liable to prison.”

The court said Oshiomhole disobeyed its order not to submit the list of Delta APC candidates to INEC, while Yakubu disobeyed its order not to receive and publish such candidates’ names from Delta State for the 2019 general elections until the resolution of the case.

The court noted that despite its order dated October 17, 2018, Oshiomhole still went ahead to submit names of purported National Assembly candidates from Delta APC to INEC and that INEC also went ahead to receive and publish such names even when the order directed both parties in the case not to do so but to maintain “status quo.”

She subsequently adjourned the matter to November 13 to give extended time to the defendants to file their responses.