The Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed reports suggesting it disobeyed a Federal High Court ruling concerning the leadership dispute within the Action Alliance party.
The controversy arose after reports circulated that the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, had ordered the arrest of the immediate past INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, for allegedly ignoring a judgment delivered on September 29, 2025.
The ruling reportedly affirmed the Rufai Omoaje-led faction as the authentic leadership of the Action Alliance, directing INEC to upload the names of the newly elected national and state executives on its official website.
In a statement issued 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.”
Olumekun said, “Our attention has been drawn to some media reports about an order made by the Federal High Court, Osogbo, for the arrest of the immediate past INEC Chairman for purportedly disobeying a judgment involving the Action Alliance party. Unfortunately, these reports omitted vital facts about the commission’s actions after the judgment and wrongly suggested that the matter concerned an individual rather than the commission as a corporate entity.”
According to him, INEC had already taken steps to comply with the court’s directive within the stipulated timeframe. “In line with its long-established tradition of obeying court judgments, the commission, on Monday, 6 October 2025 — still within the deadline — filed processes at the Federal High Court, Osogbo, to show that we had complied with its judgment and order recognising the Action Alliance executive elected on 7 October 2023 in Abeokuta, Ogun State,” the statement read.
Olumekun further disclosed that INEC tendered evidence from its website dashboard showing compliance with the order. However, he noted that a counter-affidavit was filed, alleging partial compliance because the commission only listed four national officers without including the National Chairman, Rufai Omoaje.
Responding to the development, Olumekun clarified that INEC could not recognise Omoaje as the party’s chairman due to an existing Court of Appeal judgment that removed him from the position.
He said, “The judgment of the Court of Appeal remains superior to that of the Federal High Court. Therefore, the commission cannot list Omoaje’s name as the chairman of the Action Alliance while the appellate court’s ruling subsists.”
The INEC official urged journalists to verify facts before publication, emphasizing the need for accuracy in reporting sensitive political matters.
“We appeal to media organisations to uphold ethical standards and fact-check their reports before publication to avoid misleading the public,” Olumekun added.
The Action Alliance’s leadership tussle has persisted for years, with rival factions battling for recognition. INEC maintains that its actions are guided strictly by valid court pronouncements and the provisions of the law.
