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Former governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has commenced contempt proceeding against Chief Richard Ozobu, Chidi Ibeh, Uche Okwukwu and Okechukwu Isiguzoro over a parallel election of executives of pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Ohakim had secured a court order restraining Ozobu and Okwukwu from conducting a parallel election to offices in Ohanaeze outside the one organised by an electoral committee set up by former president general, Chief Nnia Nwodo.
The electoral committee set up by Nwodo had conducted an election, which Prof George Obiozor won to emerge as president general.
In a contempt suit against Ozobu, Okwokwu, Isiguzoro and Ibeh at the High Court, Owerri, through his lawyer, Barr Aloy Ejimakor, Ohakim is seeking an order to commit the respondents to prison for “having disobeyed the order of this court made on the 5th day of January, 2021.”
The former governor stated that the court had restrained the respondents and their cohorts from “interfering in any manner whatsoever with the election of officers of Ohanaeze Ndigbo or from conducting a parallel election of the officers of Ohanaeze pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for Interlocutory injunction fixed January 11, 2021.”
He said the respondents disobeyed the court order by unlawfully conducting a parallel election of the officers of Ohanaeze, in which Okwukwu was purportedly elected Deputy President-General of Ohanaeze with Ibeh and Isiguzoro also purportedly elected President and Secretary-General, respectively.
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Ohakim told the court that by parading themselves as officers of Ohanaeze and shutting the group’s secretariat, the respondents had committed contempt of court.
In a supporting affidavit, Ohakim said he had taken out Form 48 (Notice of Consequence of disobedience of court order) on March 8, 2021, against the respondents/contemnors, warning them to retrace their steps, which was served on them by the bailiff on March 9, 2021.
He also said that despite the “service of said Form 48, Respondents/Contemnors have not taken any steps to retrace their disobedience of said order, thus, evidencing that they are unwilling to retrace their steps, in the disobedience of the order of this honourable court, unless they are compelled to do so.”
The former governor said based on the foregoing, the court’s Registrar issued and served a Form 49 (Notice to show cause why order of Committal to prison should not be made) on the Respondents/Contemnors.
He said, in ignoring the court, Ozobu, Ibeh, Okwukwu and Isiguzoro, are indirectly saying that the “court lacks the powers to restrain them from continuing on this part of disobedience of the said order of this court, thus, necessitating this application.”
Ohakim said in the interest of justice, the court should grant the application to commit the respondents to prison for comtempt “as it furthers the overall integrity of orders of court and respect for the judiciary.”
