Court Orders Arrest of Former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu Hours After Leaving Office

In a shocking development, the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered the arrest of former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, just hours after he officially vacated office.

The arrest order, issued by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi, directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to apprehend Yakubu over allegations of contempt of court. The ruling came as a dramatic twist to the end of Yakubu’s tenure, drawing widespread attention across the country.

The case stemmed from a suit filed by the Action Alliance (AA) party, which accused INEC and its former chairman of refusing to obey a court judgment delivered in case number FHC/OS/CS/194/2024. The court had earlier ordered INEC to upload the name of the party’s National Chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, and other members of its National Executive Committee (NEC) on the commission’s official website.

Justice Demi-Ajayi, in her ruling, upheld the validity of the party’s elective convention held on October 7, 2023, which produced Omoaje as the National Chairman. She affirmed that the process was properly conducted and monitored by INEC officials in accordance with the party’s constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.

However, despite INEC’s claim that it had complied with the ruling, the Action Alliance maintained that Omoaje’s name was still missing from the commission’s website. The court observed that although the names of other party officials appeared on the portal, the omission of Omoaje’s name indicated partial compliance with its earlier order.

In a fresh directive dated October 7, 2025, and signed by O. M. Kilani on behalf of the Court Registrar, the Federal High Court instructed the Inspector General of Police to arrest Professor Mahmood Yakubu and commence contempt proceedings within seven days. The court also imposed a fine of ₦100,000 against the judgment debtors for their failure to fully comply with the ruling.

The order, which came only hours after Yakubu’s tenure as INEC chairman officially ended, has stirred significant public reaction, with many Nigerians describing the timing as both surprising and unprecedented.