The Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, for contempt of court.
Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi issued the order on Monday, September 29, 2025, ruling that Yakubu and the Commission failed to comply with an earlier judgment directing the relisting of the National Officers of the Action Alliance (AA) on INEC’s official website. The ruling came just before Yakubu formally vacated office as INEC Chairman.
According to *Vanguard*, the judgment stemmed from suit No. FHC/OS/194/2024, filed by the Action Alliance and several of its state chairmen, led by Hon. Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, against INEC and Professor Yakubu. The plaintiffs accused the Commission of unlawfully deleting the names of the Omoaje-led National Executive from its website despite a valid court order affirming their legitimacy.
The certified true copy of the court’s judgment stated:
> “The 1st Defendant (INEC) and the 2nd Defendant (Prof. Mahmood Yakubu) are hereby committed to the Correctional Centre for disobeying the judgment and orders of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State, in Suit No. FHC/OS/CS/194/2024 delivered on the 17th of February, 2025.”
The court also directed the Inspector General of Police to ensure Yakubu’s arrest and the commencement of committal proceedings within seven days of the ruling.
> “That the Inspector General of Police shall cause the arrest and shall charge the Defendants/Judgment Debtors for contempt and committal proceedings within seven days of this ruling,” the order read.
Furthermore, the court imposed a ₦100,000 fine against INEC and Yakubu, payable to the plaintiffs, as compensation for “acts of contempt resulting in financial and private injuries.”
The plaintiffs in the case include the Action Alliance as a political entity, alongside Professor Julius Adebowale, Engr. Olowookere Alabi, Barr. Chinwuba Zulyke, Oladele Sunday, Simon Itokwe, and Araoye Oyewole, representing themselves and 30 other state chairmen of the party.
Meanwhile, Professor Yakubu officially vacated his position as INEC Chairman on Tuesday, with Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, a National Commissioner, assuming duties as the Acting Chairman of the electoral body.
The development marks a rare instance of a former head of Nigeria’s electoral body facing direct punitive orders from the judiciary, underscoring the court’s growing insistence on accountability and adherence to lawful directives by public institutions.
