Osun Court Orders Arrest, Imprisonment of Ex-INEC Chair Yakubu For Contempt
A 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 disobeying a valid court order.
Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi, who delivered the ruling on Monday, September 29, 2025 days before Yakubu stepped down from office, held that the former INEC boss and the Commission acted in contempt of court by failing to comply with an earlier judgment directing the relisting of the Rufai Omoaje-led National Executive of the Action Alliance (AA) on INEC’s official website.
The case, marked FHC/OS/CS/194/2024, was filed by the Action Alliance and its officials, who accused the electoral body of illegally removing their names from its records despite a subsisting court order restoring them.
In the certified copy of the judgment obtained by Vanguard on Wednesday, the court ruled that both INEC and Professor Yakubu will be committed to a correctional centre for their deliberate disobedience to the court’s earlier decision.
The ruling partly reads: “That the Inspector-General of Police shall cause the arrest and shall charge the Defendants/Judgement Debtors for contempt and committal proceedings within seven (7) days of this ruling.”
Justice Demi-Ajayi also imposed a fine of ₦100,000 against INEC and Professor Yakubu, payable to the plaintiffs as costs for the contemptuous act.
The plaintiffs in the suit include Action Alliance, Professor Julius Adebowale, Engr. Olowookere Alabi, Barr. Chinwuba Zulyke, Oladele Sunday, Simon Itokwe, and Araoye Oyewole, who filed the action on behalf of the 30 state chairmen of the party.
The court order was issued pursuant to Order 35, Rule 1–3 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act, among other legal provisions, which empower the court to commit to prison any person or institution found guilty of disobeying its lawful orders.
Justice Demi-Ajayi described the failure of INEC and Yakubu to comply as a blatant disregard for the rule of law, warning that court orders must be respected regardless of one’s position or office.
It will be recalled that Professor Yakubu officially stepped down as INEC Chairman on Tuesday, October 1, 2025, after completing his tenure. He has since been succeeded in an acting capacity by Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, a National Commissioner of the Commission.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
