A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declared that the Assets Declaration Form of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu was validly filled, lawful and in compliance with the law dismissing the suit against him.
Justice M. A. Hassan of the FCT High Court in a judgment delivered yesterday, dismissed a suit challenging the legitimacy of the assets declared by Yakubu, for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
The judge subsequently consequently barred security agencies from investigating the INEC boss over his valid assets declaration.
According to the judgment, contrary to the claim of the claimant, Somadina Uzoabaka, the Assets Declaration Form of Yakubu was lawful, valid and in compliance with the law.
Uzoabaka had in the suit sought for the removal of Yakubu as INEC Chairman over alleged falsehood in his Assets Declaration Form. Defendants in the Originating Summons marked FCT/HC/GAR/CV/47/202 are the Attorney General of the Federation and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The claimant had sought among other things an order of mandatory injunction directing and compelling the INEC Chairman to recuse, excuse and exclude himself and or step down as the Chairman of INEC pending the investigation and consideration of the various allegations against him by the various law enforcement agencies.
The claimant also sought an order of Court barring the INEC Chairman from holding or assuming any public office for a period of 10 years.
However, in his counter affidavit, Yakubu had through his counsel, Emeka Obegolu, furnished the Court with several exhibits to show the sources of money for the purchase of the properties which the Claimant alleged were illegally acquired and insisted that his assets declarations were validly done.
However, the court in its judgment found that the declaration of assets by Prof. Yakubu was lawful, valid and in compliance with the law and that he cannot be investigated by any of the security agencies listed by the Claimant.
The judge who declined to grant any of the 14 reliefs sought by the claimant declared that the INEC Chairman cannot be removed over fabricated allegations of false assets declaration and subsequently the suit.
