Prof. MAHMOOD YAKUBU escapes arrest after partial compliance with Court Order

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu has escaped being arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, following his partial compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State which ordered him to return the name of the National Chairman of the Action Alliance, AA, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje and names of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party to the INEC portal.

The party elected its National Executive Committee, NEC at the national convention of the party held on 7th October, 2023 at the Olusegun Obasanjo presidential library, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The court presided over by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi had last Monday ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun to arrest the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu if he fails to return the names of Omoaje and the NEC members of the Action Alliance to the INEC portal.

The court gave seven days ultimatum to the INEC chairman to effect the change on its website or face arrest by the Inspector General of Police.

The court also ordered INEC to post the names of all the state chairmen elected under the leadership of Omoaje on its portal and this was fully complied with by INEC.

However, INEC in partial compliance with the court judgment returned the names of the NEC members with the exception of the name of the national chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje on the website and also failed to include the address of the national secretariat of the party used by the Omoaje led executive of the party.

Findings revealed that the name of Mr Kenneth Udeze who had been suspended and expelled by the party still appears on the INEC portal as at press time contrary to the judgment of the Court delivered by Justice Demi-Ajayi on Monday, 29th September, 2025.

The development, it was gathered occasioned the filing of motion on notice before the court by INEC, claiming to have complied with the judgment of the Court.

But in a counter affidavit deposed to by the Osun State chairman of the party, Mr Araoye Oyewole, before the Federal High Court, Osogbo dated 2nd October, 2025, the Action Alliance claimed that INEC and its chairman, Prof. Yakubu failed to comply fully with the court judgment and sought for an order compelling both Yakubu and INEC to comply fully with the judgment.

According to the affidavit in support of the motion deposed to by Oyewole “the judgment of the Court and orders made therein have not been fully complied with by the judgment debtors.

”The judgment debtors only partially complied with the judgment and orders of the court in suit number FHC/OS/CS/194/2024.

“While it is true that the names of all the state chairmen of the Action Alliance elected under Adekunle Rufai Omoaje have been restored back to the INEC state portal, the part of the judgment that specifically mandated the judgment creditors to respect all judgments in favour of Adekunle Rufai Omoaje was not complied with by the judgment debtors,” it added.