Abuja – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted media reports suggesting it disobeyed a judgement of the Federal High Court in Oshogbo, Osun State, which reportedly ordered the arrest of former INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement issued Thursday, described the reports as misleading and mischievous, omitting INEC’s subsequent compliance actions.
Sam Olumekun explained INEC filed processes at the Federal High Court, Oshogbo on Monday, October 6, 2025 – still within the deadline – demonstrating compliance with the court’s judgement recognizing the Action Alliance (AA) executive elected October 7, 2023 in Abeokuta, Ogun State. “The dashboard of the Commission’s website showing compliance was tendered as evidence,” Olumekun said.
However, judgment creditors contested partial compliance, noting INEC listed four AA national executives excluding National Chairman Rufai Omoaje. Olumekun responded by highlighting a Notice of Appeal filed by Omoaje himself at the Supreme Court challenging the Court of Appeal judgement removing him as chairman. “The judgement of the Court of Appeal is superior to that of the Federal High Court, hence the Commission cannot list Omoaje’s name as Chairman of Action Alliance when the Appeal Court judgement is still subsisting,” Olumekun stated. Sam Olumekun further appealed to media houses to verify reports before publication to avoid public misinformation.
