A Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, on Wednesday ordered the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for contempt of court.
The order stems from INEC’s failure to comply with a prior ruling to list Action Alliance (AA) National Chairman Adekunle Omoaje and other National Executive Committee members on its portal, following AA’s authentic October 7, 2023, convention.
The court, presided over by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi, had ruled in suit FHC/OS/CS/194/2024 that INEC must recognize AA’s leadership.
Despite INEC’s claim of compliance, Omoaje’s name remains absent from the commission’s website.
The court’s order, signed by Mr. O.M. Kilani, mandates Yakubu’s arrest within seven days for contempt proceedings and imposed a N100,000 fine on the judgment creditors.
Critics lambasted Yakubu’s 10-year tenure. Peter Ameh, National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, accused him of undermining multi-party democracy through high-handedness and disregard for opposition parties, particularly citing the flawed 2023 elections.
Yiaga Africa’s Samson Itodo acknowledged Yakubu’s reforms, like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing portal (IReV), but criticized the weakened state of INEC due to political interference.
Conversely, HURIWA praised Yakubu’s transformative modernization but urged President Bola Tinubu to avoid appointing a partisan successor, warning of risks to the 2027 elections.
Yakubu has handed over to May Agbamuche-Mbu as acting INEC chairman. HURIWA called for a transparent, merit-based selection process for the permanent chair and stronger legal frameworks to protect INEC’s independence.
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