Trouble for Ex-INEC Boss as Court Orders His Arrest for Alleged Contempt

A Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has issued an order directing the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, over alleged contempt of court arising from disobedience to a subsisting judgment.

The order, issued by Justice Funmolola Demi-Ajayi,  followed a motion filed by the Action Alliance (AA) in suit No. FHC/OS/CS/194/2024, accusing Yakubu and INEC of failing to comply with an earlier judgment of the court.

 The judgment had directed the electoral body to upload the names of the party’s duly recognized national executive members, led by Adekunle Omoaje, onto its official portal.

Delivering the ruling, the court held that INEC and its former chairman had willfully disobeyed a valid court order and must face committal proceedings.

 The order, signed by Court Registrar O.M. Kilani, mandated the IGP to “cause the arrest and charge the defendants/judgment debtors for contempt within seven days” of the ruling.

The court also imposed a fine of ₦100,000 against Yakubu and INEC in favor of the Action Alliance for what it described as deliberate disobedience of the law.

The decision has sparked widespread reactions, coming barely days after Professor Yakubu completed his 10-year tenure and handed over to May Agbamuche-Mbu as Acting INEC Chairman.

Some civil society groups and political observers have welcomed the ruling, describing it as a test of Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law. Others, however, argue that the directive may have been misinterpreted, insisting that the order was primarily directed at INEC as an institution rather than Yakubu personally.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged President Bola Tinubu to avoid politicizing Yakubu’s succession, warning that such actions could undermine public confidence in the electoral system.

As of press time, neither INEC nor Professor Yakubu had issued an official response to the court order.