Federal High Court Orders Arrest of INEC Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu, Outlines Reasons
- A Federal High Court in Osogbo has ordered the arrest of INEC Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu for contempt of court
- INEC was said to have ignored a judgment recognising state chairmen elected under Adekunle Rufai Omoaje’s leadership
- The court has given the Nigerian electoral commission seven days to restore the names or face the might of the police
The Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has issued a directive for the arrest of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, citing contempt and disobedience of court orders.
Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi, presiding over the case involving the Action Alliance and INEC, ruled that Professor Yakubu and the electoral body had erred by failing to comply with a previous judgment.
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According to TVC, that judgment had instructed INEC and its chairman to recognise all state chairmen elected under the Adekunle Rufai Omoaje-led National Executive Committee of the Action Alliance.
The Action Alliance, represented by counsel K.O. Etibo, had sought legal redress through the application of Forms 48 and 49, requesting the committal of Professor Yakubu to prison for what it described as 'flagrant disobedience' of the court’s orders.
Delivering her ruling on September 29, 2025, Justice Demi-Ajayi imposed a fine of ₦100,000 on the INEC chairman and issued a seven-day ultimatum for the names of all chairmen elected under Omoaje’s leadership to be restored to the commission’s portal.
Failure to comply, the court warned, would result in arrest by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Justice Demi-Ajayi further affirmed the legitimacy of the national convention held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, which produced Omoaje as the National Chairman of the Action Alliance.
She stated that the convention was valid, having been monitored by INEC officials and conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
Who is INEC Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu?
Professor Mahmoud Yakubu is the Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a position he has held since November 2015.
Appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu became the first INEC chairman to oversee two general elections, in 2019 and 2023.
A professor of political history and international studies, he previously served as Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Under his leadership, INEC introduced technological reforms such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
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Facts about INEC's likely next chairman emerge
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu is reportedly considering Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, as the next INEC chairman, following the planned retirement of Prof Yakubu on November 8, 2025.
According to a verifiable report, Amupitan was conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in August 2014, marking his recognition as one of the country’s leading legal minds.
Legit.ng previously listed 10 essential facts about the legal scholar poised to take on one of Nigeria’s most critical democratic roles.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
