No Court can stop us; YDP faction declares

BY ROTIMI AGBANA

Ahead of the committal proceedings initiated against the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, ‎by the Young Democratic Party (YDP) at the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, the Barrister Georgina Dakpokpo (Mrs.) led faction of the party, has declared that no court in the country can stop ‎them.

‎The Henry Nwanbueze and Horsfal Sebibo ‎led national leadership of the YDP have cited the INEC boss for committal for disobeying the judgment of the Court of Appeal directing the Commission to re-issue a certificate of registration to Young Democratic Party (YDP) as a dully registered political party as at May 2, 2014. Already, Form 49 has been issued against the INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu by the appellate court commanding him to show cause why an order of committal to prison should not be made against him.

The party is pressing for an order committing Yakubu to prison for refusing or neglecting to obey the order of the Court of Appeal dated December 8, 2015, affirming and confirming the judgment of the trial court delivered on March 4, 2015 and dismissing the appeal by the electoral body. Specifically, the appellate court had in its judgment of December 8, 2015, granted all the reliefs of the party to the effect that it was registered as a political party as at May 2, 2014 considering section 78 (4) of the Electoral Act.

The court which dismissed the appeal by INEC directed that its judgment and that of the lower court must be obeyed to the letter. This was one of the reliefs brought by YDP and granted by The Federal High court and also affirmed by the Court of Appeal: “Whether considering the letter of submission of Application dated 17th March, 2014 and received by the Defendant on 1st April, 2014 to be registered as a political party and also considering Section 78 (4) of the Electoral Act the Plaintiff was a political party as at 2nd of May, 2014?”

But ahead of the committal proceedings, a faction of the party in a press statement in Abuja boasted that no court can stop them. The statement signed by Khairat Animashaun-Ajiboye National Publicity Secretary with the theme “Putting the Record Straight”, Stated that it had no legal issue with INEC as the Commission is not in disobedience of any order of court.

‎According to the statement: “In 2014 after the party had applied for registration, we went to court. We had some outstanding issues with INEC over our registration. By 4th of March 2015, the court gave a judgment ordering INEC to issue our certificate of registration. INEC which had a right of appeal, appealed to the court of appeal and by 8th of December, 2015, the court of appeal Abuja dismissed the appeal and affirmed the decision of the Federal High Court.

Consequently, INEC obeyed that court order and issued us with a certificate of registration and same was handed over to us on 15th of January, 2016 through the former National Chairman and National Secretary, Arch Nya-Etok Ezekiel and Hon. Nkem Nze respectively.

According to the factional leadership of the party; by February 11th, 2017 the party had its First National Convention producing Barrister Georgina Aye Dakpokpo as the first female National Chairman of a political party in Nigeria. In that same convention, other executives emerged while the party unveiled its new logo as well as its amended constitution which were ratified at the convention.

“Our attention has been drawn to some actions being taken by meddlesome interlopers, lovers of chaos, pretenders and fraudsters purporting to come from the Young Democratic Party. We want to put the following records straight:

“The Chairman of Young Democratic Party is Barrister Georgina Dakpokpo (Mrs.) Please confirm from the official record of INEC. The official logo of the Young Democratic Party is a tractor with Green and White background. INEC obeyed the court order when it issued Young Democratic Party with a certificate of registration after the court of appeal case. The court of appeal never at any time gave any order to INEC to backdate our certificate of registration to 2014. The Young Democratic Party did not officially initiate contempt proceedings against the Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmud Yakub. Other court cases against INEC did not originate from our party.”

“According to our very first registered constitution, an amendment to a constitution can only be done at a convention. Hence our very first convention held February 11th, 2017 amended and ratified our constitution. Notice is hereby placed that one Henry Nwanbueze was expelled from the party November 15th, 2016 while Horsfal Sebibo was never a member of the party.

Hence both men are not members of Young Democratic Party. We advise the public, innocent Nigerians and influential Nigerians to beware. They do not represent Young Democratic Party in anyway whatsoever. Please report to the nearest police station if they come to you in the name of Young Democratic Party. Note that Young Democratic Party is in good terms with INEC within the provisions of the law.”

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