The Federal High Court in Abuja has approved the hearing of a lawsuit that aims to force Professor Mahmud Yakubu, the INEC chairman, to file a declaration of his assets ahead of the general elections in 2023.
Hon. Emmanuel Agonsi, a member of the public, filed the lawsuit with the file number FHC/ABJ/CS/33/2021.
The INEC boss was designated as the second respondent, while the Code of Conduct Bureau, or CCB, was listed as the first respondent in the declaration.
The plaintiff is specifically asking the court, through his attorney, Solomon Okon Akpe, for an order of mandamus “directing and compelling the 1st respondent (CCB), either by its staff, officers, privies, servants or otherwise howsoever described, to issue, comply with and/or make available to the Applicant or his privies.”
According to the Applicant’s letter dated December 17, 2020, “or Counsel, information and details of the Assets Declarations Forms of the Second Respondent and his unmarried Adult Children retained by the First Respondent; and accept payment of the relevant costs from the Applicant immediately.”
You can read more of such stories at Credible News
- Senate President and Akpabio In Trouble As INEC Denies Altering Electoral Documents
- INEC Makes U-turn On Manual Transmission Of Election Results
- Buhari Appoints Ndiomu Amnesty Programme Administrator
An order of mandamus directing and compelling the 1st Respondent (CCB) to issue, comply with, and/or make available to the Applicant or his privies or Counsel, information and details of the Assets Declarations Forms of the 2nd Respondent (Prof. Yakubu) and his unmarried adult children kept by the 1st Respondent as requested in the Applicant’s letter of December 17, 2020.
“A declaration that the first respondent has a legal and ethical obligation to provide the applicant with the information and specifics requested in the applicant’s letter of request dated December 17, 2020, regarding the second respondent.
“A declaration that the First Respondent’s refusal or failure to respond to or comply with the Applicant’s request as contained in his Letter dated December 17, 2020 constitutes the First Respondent’s refusal/failure of the First Respondent’s statutory and/or public duty to the Applicant and is, therefore, unlawful, illegal, an abuse of power, an abuse of discretion, and ultra vires,” the Applicant requested.
The plaintiff also requested a court order “directing the First Respondent, either by itself, officer, staff or nominee to forthwith produce for the examination of this Honourable Court, certified copies of the Assets Declaration Forms of the Second Respondent (Prof. Yakubu) and his unmarried Adult Children submitted to the First Respondent for the period of 2007-2012 and 2015-2020 and any other ones declared thereafter” as an alternative.
In the meantime, Justice John Tsoho, the court’s chief judge, has mandated that the CCB and the INEC chairman be served with all pertinent court documents and hearing notices.
You can read more of such stories at Credible News and The Cheer News
