A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, for contempt of court following his alleged failure to obey a subsisting judgment.
Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi, who delivered the ruling, directed the Inspector-General of Police to carry out the arrest within seven days, citing Yakubu’s refusal to comply with a February 2025 judgment that mandated the reinstatement of the Action Alliance (AA) national officers on the INEC portal.
The court, in its ruling, also imposed a cost of ₦100,000 against the defendants — INEC and Professor Yakubu — in favour of the plaintiffs for what it described as “financial and personal injuries suffered due to the contempt.”
According to the certified judgment marked FHC/OS/194/2024, the Action Alliance, led by Hon. Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, had approached the court seeking an order compelling INEC and its former chairman to restore the names of its duly elected national officers removed from the Commission’s website.
The plaintiffs had argued that their removal was unconstitutional and contrary to an earlier judgment delivered on 17 February 2025, which directed INEC to reinstate the Omoaje-led National Executive Committee.
The latest order reads in part:
“An order is hereby granted for the committal of the 1st Defendant (INEC) and the 2nd Defendant (Prof. Mahmood Yakubu) to the Correctional Centre for disobeying the judgment of this Honourable Court delivered on 17th February 2025.”
Justice Demi-Ajayi further instructed the police authorities to ensure immediate compliance with the directive, noting that the integrity of the judiciary rests on the enforcement of its rulings.
“The court cannot be seen as helpless in ensuring that its decisions are obeyed. The rule of law demands full compliance, and disobedience of a lawful court order amounts to contempt which this court will not tolerate,” the judge stated.
The Action Alliance officials who initiated the suit included Professor Julius Adebowale, Engineer Olowookere Alabi, Barrister Chinwuba Zulyke, Oladele Sunday, Simon Itokwe, and Araoye Oyewole, representing themselves and 30 other state chairmen of the party.
Meanwhile, the court’s decision came just days before Professor Yakubu completed his ten-year tenure as INEC chairman and officially handed over to Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, who has assumed office in an acting capacity.
Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 to 2025, oversaw two general elections and numerous state polls during his tenure. He was widely credited for introducing technological reforms such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
However, the recent development has sparked public debate about institutional accountability and the independence of the electoral body. Legal analysts say the ruling underscores the judiciary’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring compliance with its judgments, particularly by public institutions.
Mrs Agbamuche-Mbu’s appointment as acting chairman, observers note, comes at a crucial time as INEC prepares for several off-cycle governorship elections and ongoing voter registration exercises across the country.
