Appeal court orders stay of execution on arrest of INEC chairman, Yakubu

The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has called off the arrest warrant issued against Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by Justice Stephen Pam of the Federal High Court.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had earlier ordered the arrest of the INEC boss after he failed to appear in court.

Mahmood was summoned by the court, earlier in July, following the ruling by Justice Stephen Pam who dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the INEC chairman and the commission challenging the contempt suit brought against them by the Ejike Oguebego faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State.

But Justice Abdul Aboki has now led a three-man panel to suspend the enforcement of the arrest warrant in a ruling it delivered on Monday, in an appeal filed by the INEC chairman challenging the order made by Justice Pam for his arrest.

According to Justice Aboki, since the matter has been adjourned to September 17 for hearing of the main appeal, “it will be prejudicial for the trial court to proceed with hearing of the matter scheduled for August 14.

“Consequently, the panel unanimously ordered the stay of proceeding pending the hearing of Prof Mahmood’s appeals,” he said