By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed recent media claims alleging that it defied a Federal High Court order issued in Osogbo, Osun State, in connection with the ongoing leadership tussle within the Action Alliance (AA) party.
Earlier reports had suggested that the Federal High Court in Osogbo ordered the arrest of the immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for purportedly failing to comply with a ruling delivered on September 29, 2025. The court was said to have ruled in favour of a faction led by Rufai Omoaje, upholding the legitimacy of the party’s elective convention held in October 2023 in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The ruling also directed INEC to update its official portal with the names of the new national and state executives, including Omoaje.
However, in a statement issued on Friday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, INEC described the reports as “misleading.” The commission accused some media outlets of deliberately leaving out crucial details regarding its subsequent actions following the judgment.
“Our attention has been drawn to some media reports about an order made by the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State, 11 days ago — on 29 September 2025 — for the arrest of the immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for purportedly disobeying its judgment in a case involving the Action Alliance party.
But the misleading reports mischievously omitted the commission’s subsequent action on the case, erroneously portrayed the matter involving a corporate entity, namely INEC, as an individual affair, and gave the wrong impression that the court issued a fresh order after its initial pronouncement,” the statement read in part.
INEC clarified that it had already initiated steps to comply with the court’s directive. According to the commission, it filed all relevant legal documents at the Federal High Court in Osogbo on Monday, October 6, 2025—well within the timeframe specified by the court. It also presented evidence from its website dashboard confirming recognition of the AA executives elected during the October 7, 2023 convention in Abeokuta.
The commission further acknowledged that a counter-affidavit was later submitted, alleging that INEC had only uploaded four national executives, excluding the National Chairman, Rufai Omoaje.
“In line with its long-established tradition of always obeying court judgments and orders, the commission, on Monday, 6 October 2025 — which was 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 at Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The dashboard of the commission’s website showing compliance was tendered as evidence.
However, when the judgment creditors filed a counter-affidavit to complain that the commission partially complied by listing only four national executives without the National Chairman, Rufai Omoaje, the commission responded by attaching the Notice of Appeal filed by the same Omoaje at the Supreme Court, challenging the judgment of the Court of Appeal which sacked him as the National Chairman of the party,” Olumekun clarified.
INEC maintained that it could not list Omoaje as the party’s chairman because of an existing ruling by the Court of Appeal, which remains binding and superior to that of the Federal High Court.
“The judgment of the Court of Appeal is superior to that of the Federal High Court. Hence, the commission cannot list Omoaje’s name as the chairman of the Action Alliance party while the judgment of the Appeal Court remains in force,” the statement added.
The commission also cautioned the media to maintain professionalism and accuracy in their reporting.
“We urge media organisations to fact-check their reports before publication to avoid misleading the public,” INEC stated.