Anambra PDP Asks Court to Punish Jega for Disobeying Orders

The Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has initiated contempt proceedings against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega for allegedly flouting an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja in relation to the outcome of the National Assembly primaries held in the state.

In a motion for committal filed by the party on December 31, 2014, Jega was accused of disobeying a December 5, 2014 order of the court restraining INEC from accepting “any delegate list or nominated candidates” from the congresses or primaries conducted by the caretaker committee purportedly set up by the party’s national leadership to manage the affairs of the Anambra PDP.

Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja had, in a judgment delivered on December 5, 2014 in suit No: FHC/ ABJ/CS/854/2014 filed by the Chairman and Legal Secretary of Anambra PDP – Ejike Oguebego and Chuks Okoye – (for themselves and the state’s Executive Committee of the party), affirmed the plaintiffs’ leadership of the party.

Justice Chukwu declared the caretaker committee illegal on the ground that it was wrongly constituted while the tenure of the Oguebego-led EXCO was yet to expire.

He also restrained INEC and its agents from accepting any delegate list or nominated candidates from primaries or congresses conducted by the illegal committee.

The party, in its motion on notice filed by its lawyer, Taiwo Abe, seeks among others, “an order committing Prof Attahiru Jega, Chairman, INEC for contempt of court for disobeying and refusing to comply with the order of this court made on December 5, 2014 and served on him on December 8, 2014.”

It also sought for an order directing INEC, “particularly it’s Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega – contemnor to comply forthwith with the orders of the court made on December 5, 2014.”