Court sends NSIEC Chairman to Correctional Center for contempt

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

The Niger State High Court 5 sitting in Minna has issued a bench warrant for the arrest and committal to Minna Correctional Center of the Chairman of Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), Alhaji Baba Aminu for contempt.
Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed who delivered the ruling on the motion filled by the counsel representing the petitioner in the matter brought before the Court by Barrister Mohammed Baba Waziri and Barrister Abubakar Mohammed Bokani respectively.
They argued that the state Chairman of the state independent electoral commission should be arrested and commit to the correctional center for his deliberate refusal to comply with the judgment delivered by the court on the 13/03/2020 ordering that certificate of return should be issued to the plaintiff without further delay.
The court had on 13/03/5020 delivered judgment against the incumbent Chairman of Magama local government area Salisu Ubandoma to vacate his seat and the state independent electoral commission should withdraw the certificate of return earlier issued to him.
Following the judgment as delivered by the court, the state independent electoral commission refused to comply with the judgment,at the resumed sitting of the case on Thursday .
Meanwhile, the counsel representing the Chairman of the state independent electoral commission, Barrister Johnson John Usman pleaded with the court that the Chairman was not available in the court as a result of the total lockdown that the state is currently passing through as a result of covid 19.
He assured the court that he will personally bring the Chairman to court by next week Monday.
However the commissioner in charge of Administration of the state independent electoral commission Alhaji Yahaya Idris Abarah brought the certificate of return to court for issuance to the plaintiff Mallam Safiyanu Yahaya Ibeto of the People’s Democratic Party PDP.
Justice Mohammed Adishetu Mohammed while overruling the submission of the counsel to the Chairman of the state independent electoral commission insisted that the Chairman of the state independent electoral commission Alhaji Baba Aminu be committed to the Correctional center for contempt.