A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, over alleged contempt of court.
The order, issued on Wednesday, followed INEC’s alleged failure to comply fully with a previous judgement concerning the leadership of the Action Alliance (AA).
In the ruling signed by Mr O.M. Kilani on behalf of the court registrar, the court directed that the IGP “cause the arrest and charge the defendant/judgement debtors for contempt and committal proceedings within seven days of this ruling”.
The court also awarded a cost of ₦100,000 against the judgement creditors.
The case stemmed from a suit filed by the Action Alliance (AA) marked FHC/OS/CS/194/2024, in which the party challenged INEC and its former chairman over non-compliance with a judgement delivered by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi.
The earlier judgement had recognised the party’s elective convention held on October 7, 2023, which produced Adekunle Omoaje as the National Chairman and other members of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The court ruled that the convention was valid, having been properly monitored by INEC in line with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
Although INEC claimed to have implemented the ruling, the Action Alliance disputed this, stating that Omoaje’s name was yet to appear on the commission’s official portal.
Critics Fault Yakubu’s Tenure
The court’s order has reignited criticism of Yakubu’s stewardship. The National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ameh, accused the former INEC boss of undermining Nigeria’s multi-party democracy and operating with disregard for opposition parties.
“Under Yakubu, the opposition suffered. He was not accommodating when it came to multi-party democracy; he simply wanted to crush it.
The high-handedness was too much,” Ameh said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily yesterday.
He added that Yakubu’s administration failed to strengthen institutional capacity within INEC, describing the commission as “elitist and detached from its core mandate”.
Ameh said the conduct of the 2023 general elections left “a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth” and criticised Yakubu for failing to take responsibility for the technical failures that marred the polls.
Yakubu, who served as INEC chairman for a decade, handed over on Tuesday to the commission’s oldest serving National Commissioner, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, who now serves as Acting Chairman.
‘Yakubu Left Behind a Weak INEC’
On Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said while Yakubu introduced notable electoral reforms, political interference weakened the commission’s independence.
“You cannot deny that Yakubu introduced remarkable reforms,” Itodo said. “But we are yet, as a country, to maximise their potential because of political interference. What he leaves behind, to a large extent, is a weak INEC.”
HURIWA Warns Tinubu Against Politicising Successor’s Appointment
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged President Bola Tinubu to avoid appointing a partisan figure as Yakubu’s successor.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA praised Yakubu’s tenure as “transformative and institutionally progressive,” citing innovations such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which it said improved transparency and curtailed manipulation.
However, the group warned that politicising the new appointment could reverse the gains made in the electoral process and compromise the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
HURIWA also called on civil society organisations, the media, professional bodies, and international partners to insist on a transparent and merit-based appointment process.
It further urged the National Assembly to enact stronger legal safeguards to protect INEC’s independence and prevent undue executive interference.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
