Imo APC Chairman Accuses INEC Of Disobeying Court Order

Few hours before the March 9, 2019 Governorship/House of Assembly Elections, the Chairman of the State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Daniel Nwafor, has accused the Imo State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Gross disobedience of court order and treatment of the high court with levity and disdain.

In a letter dated March 7, 2019 and addressed to the Head of Department (HoD) Election & Party Monitoring, INEC, Owerri, Barrister V. O Nwokeabia, Nwafor alleged that despite the judgment and order of a Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit no:  FCT/HC/BW/CV/103/2018, the state INEC, against all known democratic principles, has been treating the court and its judgment with levity.

In the letter, which was made available to The Nation on Friday, Nwafor said the Federal High Court Abuja had granted his application seeking, among others, that the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu and all the officers in that office recognize him (Nwafor) as the chairman of APC in Imo Sate.

He, however, said “Despite the rule of law slogan of your commission, your office has consistently insulted the court and its judgment and orders…..this is shocking coming from a lawyer that the reason for disobeying orders of court and treating the court with levity is that someone is directing you to do so. This is wrong and unacceptable.”

Nwafor reminded the state INEC that Nigeria is governed by laws and “All of us must obey the laws of the land including any decision made by the courts until set aside. He said since the state INEC HoD now claims to be bigger than the court and the laws of the land, “I am compelled to formally write a petition to the disciplinary committee of the body of lawyers to call you to order while I also continue with the contempt matter.”

Recall that the state chapter of the APC had filed a contempt suit against the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The contempt suit was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, with Nwafor insisting that Oshiomhole’s action in dissolving his executive was contemptuous because there was an existing court judgment barring the APC National Chairman from doing so.

According to him, Oshiomhole had no power to dissolve a duly elected executive body headed by him (Nwafor) and appointing a Caretaker Committee led by Chief Marcellinus Nlemigbo. He described the caretaker committee chairman and his members as “impostors.”