lNEC Chairman faces arrest over partial compliance with court judgment

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, may have narrowly escaped arrest by the Nigeria Police Force after partially complying with a Federal High Court judgment in Osogbo, Osun State.
The court had ordered Yakubu to return the name of Hon. Adekunle Rufai Omoaje as the National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA) and the names of the National Executive Committee (NEC) members elected at the party’s national convention on October 7, 2023.
The Action Alliance had approached the court seeking an order to compel INEC to recognize all state chairmen elected under Omoaje’s leadership. Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi delivered a judgment in favor of the Action Alliance, directing INEC to recognize the state chairmen and restore their names to the commission’s portal.
However, INEC partially complied with the judgment, restoring the names of NEC members except for the national chairman, Omoaje.
Although INEC fully complied with the directive to post the names of all state chairmen elected under Omoaje’s leadership on its portal, it failed to include the address of the national secretariat of the party used by Omoaje’s executive.
Furthermore, the name of Mr. Kenneth Udeze, who was suspended and expelled by the party, still appears on the INEC portal, contrary to the court’s judgment.
The court’s ruling on September 29, 2025, affirmed that the national convention that produced Omoaje as National Chairman was valid, as it was monitored by INEC officials and in line with the party’s constitution and electoral acts.
The court also ordered INEC to replace Udeze’s name with Omoaje’s on its portal without delay. Yakubu was given seven days to comply with the court’s order or face arrest by the Inspector General of Police.
The Action Alliance has filed a counter-affidavit claiming that INEC and its chairman failed to fully comply with the court judgment. The party is seeking an order compelling both Yakubu and INEC to comply fully with the judgment.