A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the immediate past Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, for failing to comply with a subsisting judgment of the court.
The order was issued by Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi on Monday, September 29, 2025—just before Yakubu stepped down from office after completing his tenure.
The court held that Yakubu had disobeyed an earlier judgment directing INEC to relist the national officers of Action Alliance (AA) on its official website.
The party, in suit number FHC/OS/194/2024, had sought an order compelling INEC and Yakubu to re-enlist the names of the Rufai Omoaje-led National Executive Committee, which it claimed was illegally removed from the commission’s portal.
A certified copy of the order obtained by Vanguard on Wednesday reads in part:
> “Upon the Motion on Notice dated the 14th of May 2025 brought pursuant to Order 35 rule (1-3) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019; Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act; Order 9 rule 13 of the Judgment Enforcement Rules and under the inherent jurisdiction of this Honourable Court; the Plaintiffs/Judgement Creditors seek the following reliefs:
‘AN ORDER of committal to the Correctional Centre (formerly Prison) of the 1st Defendant (INEC) and the 2nd Defendant (Prof. Mahmood Yakubu) (Contemnors) for disobeying the Judgement/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 plaintiffs further requested that INEC and Yakubu be compelled to restore the names of the state chairmen elected under the Omoaje-led executive to the commission’s state portal and respect all court judgments in their favour. They also demanded compensation for the contempt, citing “financial and private injuries.”
Delivering the ruling, the court ordered:
> “That the Inspector General of Police shall cause the arrest and shall charge the Defendants/Judgement Debtors for contempt and committal proceedings within 7 days of this ruling.
Cost of N100,000 is ordered against the Defendants/Judgement Debtors in favour of the Plaintiffs/Judgement Creditors.”
The plaintiffs in the suit include the Action Alliance, Julius Adebowale, Olowookere Alabi, Chinwuba Zulyke, Oladele Sunday, Simon Itokwe, and Araoye Oyewole, representing themselves and 30 other state chairmen of the party.
INEC and Yakubu are listed as defendants in the contempt proceedings.
Yakubu stepped down as INEC Chairman on Tuesday, with May Agbamuche-Mbu assuming office as acting chairperson.
