The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu for disobeying a court order.

Justice Stephen Pam of the court made the order of arrest following Yakubu’s absence from Wednesday’s proceedings in defiance of the court’s repeated summonses requesting his appearance.

The court had summoned Yakubu to appear before it to defend the contempt suit instituted against him by an acclaimed Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, Ejike Oguebego.

Oguebego had filed the contempt suit against INEC and its chairman for their refusal to recognize him as the PDP chairman in Anambra State in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment of December 2014.

Yakubu’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) had informed the judge during Wednesday’s proceedings that his client was absent from court because he was leading a team of electoral officers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to Mali.

While noting that he could no longer tolerate Yakubu’s continued absence, having on three occasions refused to honour the court’s summons, Justice Pam ruled that the INEC chairman’s excuse of attending an assignment in Mali was not tenable.

Justice Pam said the court would not fold its hands and be turned into a toothless dog by the defendant, expressing sadness that Yakubu and INEC chose ‘not to obey the order of this court in respect of this contempt charge’.

“The contempt of the alleged contemnor to this court can no longer be tolerated and he should not be allowed to continue to take the court for a ride,” Pam ruled.

The judge therefore ordered that the INEC chairman be arrested for his continued absence from court and then adjourned the case till August 8.