By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA— The Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, ordered Inspector-General of Police to produce the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, in court on August 14.

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

Justice Stephen Pam gave the order after Adegboyega Awomolo, counsel to Yakubu, told the court that he did not know where his client was.

It will be recalled that the court had on August 1 issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Yakubu for “flagrant disobedience of court orders.”

According to Pam, the bench warrant issued for the arrest of Yakubu has not been vacated and still subsists.

“The IGP is hereby ordered to enforce it by bringing him to court on the next adjourned date.

He adjourned the matter till August 14 for continuation of committal proceedings.

Earlier, Mr Awomolo told the court that he had written a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, asking that the matter be transferred to another judge.

Gordy Uche, counsel to Ejike Oguebego, the plaintiff in the matter, however, opposed the application for an adjournment on the grounds that there was no basis for adjournment.

Mr Uche told the court that although Awomolo had written to seek the disqualification of the judge, the letter was not copied to him or the judge as he was only just informing the court.

INEC boss petitions CJ, seeks disqualification of Judge

Meanwhile, chairman of INEC,Yakubu, has petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati, asking him to disqualify the judge that issued arrest warrant against him.

The INEC boss, in the petition he filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, alleged that the judge, Justice Stephen Pam, was determined to send him to prison without recourse to the rule of law.

He alleged that the trial judge exhibited bias tendencies against him by issuing a bench warrant for his arrest, when condition precedents for the issuance of such order was not fulfilled.

Consequently, he begged the CJ to, in the interest of fair hearing, transfer the matter to another Judge for hearing.