BREAKING: Court Orders Arrest of Ex-INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu — Just Hours After Stepping Down

In a dramatic twist that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s political and judicial circles, the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, on Tuesday ordered the arrest of the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for contempt of court — barely hours after he vacated office.

The order, delivered by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi, directed the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately apprehend the former electoral umpire and initiate committal proceedings within seven days.

Yakubu, who earlier in the day formally handed over the affairs of the commission to Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, a National Commissioner now serving as Acting INEC Chairperson, is accused of defying a subsisting court order relating to the leadership dispute within the Action Alliance (AA) party.

At the heart of the controversy lies Suit No. FHC/OS/CS/194/2024, filed by the AA, which accused INEC of failing to comply with a previous judgment directing the commission to recognize and upload the name of Adekunle Rufai Omoaje as the party’s National Chairman, along with other duly elected members of the National Executive Committee (NEC).

The court had, in an earlier ruling, affirmed the October 2023 elective convention that produced Omoaje as valid, noting that it was duly monitored and supervised by INEC officials in accordance with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

Despite INEC’s claim of compliance, Omoaje’s name has reportedly remained missing from the commission’s official website — a development the court described as a “flagrant disregard and violation of judicial authority.”

In her ruling, Justice Demi-Ajayi expressed deep concern over what she termed “a worrying pattern of institutional defiance by public officers,” stressing that no one, regardless of office or influence, is above the law.

A certified copy of the ruling, dated October 7, 2025, and signed by O.M. Kilani on behalf of the Court Registrar, read in part:

> “It is hereby ordered that the Inspector-General of Police shall cause the arrest and shall charge the defendant/judgment debtors for contempt and committal proceedings within seven days of this ruling.”

As of press time, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official response regarding the enforcement of the arrest order.

Political observers describe the development as a stunning and unprecedented turn of events, marking what could be a defining test for Nigeria’s judicial independence and accountability in public office.

Meanwhile, reactions have begun to pour in across social media, with many Nigerians expressing disbelief that the once-powerful electoral chief — who oversaw two general elections — could be facing possible incarceration for contempt of court.