Even after his tenure ended, Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Osogbo has renewed an order for the Inspector General of Police to arrest former INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu on contempt charges.
Legal battle and contempt order
The court’s directive came shortly after Yakubu left office and handed over to acting Chairman May Agbamuche. The case stems from a suit by the Action Alliance (AA), which accused INEC and Yakubu of ignoring previous court rulings. The original judgment had ordered INEC to upload to its portal the names of the AA’s national chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, and state chairmen, following a convention held in October 2023.
INEC’s compliance challenged
Although INEC claimed compliance, Omoaje’s name remained absent from the portal—a situation the court viewed unfavorably. While state chairmen and NEC members had been added, the omission of Omoaje triggered the contempt order.
Arrest order and sanctions
The court’s October 7, 2025 order mandates that the Inspector General of Police arrest Yakubu within seven days and initiate committal proceedings for contempt. It also imposed a ₦100,000 cost against the judgment creditors.
