The National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Kenneth Udeze, has described as false and misleading report of contempt judgement against Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by the federal high court in Osogbo, Osun state.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Udeze said the party did not sue Yakubu and did not mandate anyone to do so.
“It has come to our attention that some individuals are circulating false information alleging that a Federal High Court ordered the arrest of the former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
“There is no such judgment anywhere. I urge Nigerians and our party members to ignore these rumours,” Udeze said.
Reports had earlier claimed that Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court in Osogbo directed the arrest of Professor Yakubu for allegedly failing to comply with a judgment ordering INEC to relist certain national officers of the Action Alliance on its website.
The case was said to have been filed by a former party member, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, and his associates, who sought recognition from INEC as the party’s legitimate leaders.
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However, Udeze maintained that the claim was the handiwork of individuals expelled from the party.
He challenged aggrieved party members to produce the alleged court order, describing the claim as false and misleading.
Udeze noted that the judgement of the federal high court, Osogbo, overruled the previous ruling of the court of appeal on the leadership crisis in the party.
He said the application filed at the federal high court, Osogbo was allegedly secretly done to deceive the court.
He added that the aggrieved party members had gone to the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, federal high court, Abuja and the court of appeal, Abuja division and lost all cases.
He said the five cases were about who is the authentic national chairman of the AA, noting that the issue of national leadership of the party has long been settled in favour of Udeze’s executives up to the court of appeal.
He said while waiting for the Supreme court’s decision on the crisis, the same members who had joined issues with the party leadership and failed filed a separate matter at the federal high court, Osogbo, against INEC only by claiming that they were purportedly acting on behalf of the party.
“On the issue of the purported court order against the former INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, I want Nigeria to disregard such false rumours, as there’s no such judgement,” he said.
“The busybodies making noise with such frivolous propaganda should present the said order and, moreover, allow the retired former INEC Chairman to enjoy his retirement, having contributed so much to electoral reforms and deepening democracy in Nigeria.”
Udeze directed the party’s legal team to seek the vacation of the judgement obtained by Adekunle Omoaje and his associates from the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
He called on INEC not to recognise the Osogbo judgement and to continue recognising the Udeze-led national leadership based on multiple court of appeal rulings.
“That the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is hereby demanded by the national leadership of the Action Alliance (AA) not to give recognition to the judgement obtained by one Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, his agents and privies from the Federal High Court Osogbo and continued recognition of Barr. (Chief) Kenneth Udeze-led national leadership of the Action Alliance (AA) based on the various Court of Appeal judgements recognising the leadership,” he said.
“That the commission should, as a matter of urgent public importance, inform Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, his agents and privies to wait for their appeal at the Supreme Court and stop this forum shopping of favourable judgement from one judicial division of the Federal High Court to another.”
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