The Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, for alleged contempt of court.
The arrest order came just hours after Yakubu officially vacated his position as INEC chairman.
The Action Alliance (AA) had dragged INEC and Yakubu before the court, accusing them of failing to comply with a previous judgment delivered by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi in case number FHC/OS/CS/194/2024.
In that ruling, the court had ordered INEC to upload the names of the party’s National Chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, and members of its National Executive Committee (NEC) on the commission’s official website. The court also affirmed the legitimacy of the party’s convention held on October 7, 2023, which produced Omoaje as the authentic national chairman, noting that the exercise was duly monitored by INEC officials.
Although INEC claimed it had complied with the judgment, the Action Alliance insisted otherwise, pointing out that Omoaje’s name was still missing from the portal despite the court’s order. While the names of state chairmen and NEC members were uploaded, Omoaje’s omission prompted the court to issue a fresh directive.
In the latest ruling dated October 7, 2025, and signed by O.M. Kilani on behalf of the Court Registrar, the judge ordered the police to arrest and arraign Yakubu for contempt within seven days.
The court also imposed a fine of ₦100,000 against the judgment creditors.
