A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the arrest of the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abubakar Baraje, some state and national officers of the party over their failure to honour its summons.
Justice Charles Archibong had on Tuesday summoned the party officers to appear before the court to face a contempt proceeding.
He issued the bench warrant on Friday following the absence of the alleged contemnors in court.
Archibong said the failure on the part of the alleged contemnors to appear in court amounted to “an act of subversion of the court order and a serial disrespect for the court.”
The court issued the arrest warrant after it dismissed a motion filed by the PDP chiefs, seeking the stay of execution of the court summons and stay of the contempt proceedings.
Apart from Baraje, the other officials of the PDP on whom the warrant of arrest was issued included the National Vice-Chairman of the party in the Southwest, Tajudeen Oladipo; the National Legal Adviser, Olusola Oke and the National Organising Secretary, Unche Secondus.
Others are Jimoh Adigun, Mustapha Olabode, Titus Eweje, Fasiu Bakene, Gbenga Shobowale, Dipo Odujirin, Michela Fasinu, Dayo Adebayo, Iyabo Apampa, Segun Showunmi,Monsurudeen Osholake and Lekan Mustapha.
The contempt proceeding emanated from a suit filed by the Dayo Soremi-led faction of the PDP in Ogun State, challenging the constitution of an ad-hoc committee to oversee the affairs of the party in the state.
In the contempt charge, the PDP officials were accused of disobeying an order by the court, which was issued on October 25, December 14 and 15, 2011, respectively, to the effect that political parties should maintain the status quo ante, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, the counsel for the alleged contemnors, Olajide Ajana, had moved a motion seeking to stay the contempt proceedings. But Archibong dismissed the motion, saying the application was incompetent and frivolous.
The matter was adjourned till April 26 for hearing of the contempt charge.