Contempt: Court Gives Obasanjo 21-Day Ultimatum

An Abuja High Court has held that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in contempt of court for flouting its orders restraining him from publishing his autobiography, My Watch.

Justice Valentine Ashi, in a ruling yesterday, gave Obasanjo 21 days (from the day of service of the court’s orders on him) to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt for going ahead to publish the book in spite of the ex-parte interim order made by the court on December 5 and a pending libel suit before the court involving him (Obasanjo).

The judge restrained him from further publishing, printing or offering for sale, the book, “My Watch,” which content touches on the subject matter before the court.

Justice Ashi had on December 5 granted ex-parte interim orders, restraining Obasanjo from proceeding with plans to publish the book or have it published for him, and fixed December 10 as the return date.

Despite the court’s interim order, about a day after the court order, Obasanjo made public presentation of the book in Lagos, arguing that the book had been published before the court was misled into making the orders.

During the court’s sitting yesterday, the judge took arguments from lawyer to the plaintiff/applicant, Alex Iziyon (SAN) and defendant/respondent’s lawyer, Realwon Okpanach on the plaintiff’s motion for interlocutory injunctions, the defendant’s counter affidavit and motion for order to vacate the earlier granted interim orders.

 Hmmmmm.

Culled from leadership