By Festus Ahon

ASABA—A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, may commit the Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attaihuru Jega, to prison for failure to restore the Ughelli South 1 and Isoko North 1 constituencies as ordered by the court.

The trial judge, Justice Shitu Abubakar, had, on October 31, 2014, ordered INEC to restore the Ughelli South constituency 1 and Isoko constituency 1, which were suppressed in 1999.

The plaintiffs, Chief Felix Onowakpokpo, Friday Ferife, Dr Peter Emanziye and Richard Isagba, in a notice of consequence of disobedience of court order addressed to Prof. Jega, said: “Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”

The court had held that “The defendant does not have any power and/or discretion whatsoever to suppress the existing Ughelli South constituency 1 with constituency code No. SC/33/DT and Isoko North constituency 1 with constituency code no SC/17/DT in Delta State House of Assembly lawfully created and approved by the National Assembly.”

They are arguing that the defendant’s omission, failure, refusal and/or neglect to restore and recognise the Ughelli South 1 and Isoko North 1 constituencies by including the two constituencies in the approved list of state constituencies previously suppressed by the defendant, was in contempt of the court’s orders.