A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered the arrest and imprisonment of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for contempt of court.

Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi issued the order in a ruling delivered on Monday, September 29, 2025 — days before Professor Yakubu stepped down after completing his tenure as INEC Chairman.

The court held that Yakubu and the Commission failed to comply with a previous judgment directing INEC to relist the names of the Rufai Omoaje-led national officers of the Action Alliance (AA) on its official website.

The suit, marked FHC/OS/194/2024, was filed by the Action Alliance and several of its state chairmen. The plaintiffs sought an order compelling INEC and Yakubu to restore the names of party executives allegedly removed from the Commission’s portal in violation of a subsisting court judgment.

In the certified order obtained by Vanguard on Wednesday, the court ruled that both INEC and its former chairman were in contempt of the February 17, 2025 judgment of the same court.

Part of the ruling reads: “The Inspector General of Police shall cause the arrest and shall charge the Defendants/Judgment Debtors for contempt and committal proceedings within seven days of this ruling.”

The court also imposed a fine of ₦100,000 against the defendants in favour of the plaintiffs for what it described as acts of contempt resulting in financial and private injury.

The plaintiffs in the suit include the Action Alliance, Professor Julius Adebowale, Engineer Olowookere Alabi, Barrister Chinwuba Zulyke, Oladele Sunday, Simon Itokwe, and Araoye Oyewole — representing themselves and 30 other state chairmen of the party.

INEC and Professor Yakubu were listed as the first and second defendants, respectively.

Professor Yakubu officially vacated office on Tuesday, handing over to Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, who now serves as Acting INEC Chairman.