INEC Clears Air on Alleged Contempt of Court, Reaffirms Obedience to Judicial Orders

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports claiming it defied a Federal High Court order in Osogbo, Osun State, concerning the ongoing leadership tussle within the Action Alliance (AA) party.

Earlier in the week, some media outlets reported that the court had ordered the arrest of former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for allegedly disobeying a September 29, 2025 judgment that recognised the Rufai Omoaje-led faction of the party. The court had reportedly directed INEC to upload the names of the newly elected national and state executives from the faction’s October 2023 convention in Abeokuta onto its official portal.

However, in a statement released on Friday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, INEC described the reports as “misleading” and “incomplete.” The commission said the publications failed to include critical information about its actions after receiving the court’s decision.

Olumekun explained that INEC had already taken lawful steps to comply with the judgment, filing the required documents at the Federal High Court in Osogbo on October 6, 2025 — well within the court’s stipulated timeframe. The commission also presented evidence from its website showing that it had recognised the AA executive elected in Abeokuta.

He clarified that a counter-affidavit had later been filed, alleging that INEC’s compliance was partial because it omitted the name of Rufai Omoaje as National Chairman. In response, the commission attached a Notice of Appeal filed by Omoaje himself at the Supreme Court, challenging the Court of Appeal judgment that removed him from office.

Olumekun stressed that INEC could not list Omoaje as the party’s chairman while the appellate court’s decision — which supersedes that of the Federal High Court — remains valid.

“The judgment of the Court of Appeal is superior to that of the Federal High Court. Therefore, INEC cannot recognise Omoaje as the chairman of the Action Alliance while that judgment stands,” the statement read.

Reaffirming the commission’s long-standing commitment to respecting judicial orders, INEC stated that it acted promptly and transparently in this case.

It also urged the media to verify facts before publication to avoid spreading misinformation.

“We appeal to media organisations to uphold professionalism and accuracy in their reporting to prevent misleading the public,” the statement added.