Contempt Charge: Court Serves INEC Chairman Yakubu with Form 48
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| Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu |
The Federal High Court in Abuja has formally served the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, with Form 48—a notice of contempt proceedings—following a motion filed by the National Rescue Mission (NRM).
The document, which signifies the commencement of contempt and committal proceedings, was delivered to the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja by court bailiff Ayuba Sule, in accordance with a June 17 ruling by Justice Obiora Egwuatu. The judge had authorized substituted service of the court documents due to the difficulty in serving the INEC Chairman personally.
According to the court’s order, the bailiff was permitted to serve any staff member of INEC on behalf of the Chairman. However, NRM’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anselem Chinedu Nebeife, disclosed in a statement that officials at INEC initially declined to accept the court documents.
“Mr. Ayuba first went to the Chairman’s office, where staff asked him to identify himself. After presenting his ID and handing them the document, they returned it and directed him to the legal department,” the statement said.
At the legal department, a similar incident reportedly occurred. The bailiff, frustrated by the staff’s refusal, ultimately dropped the court order and Form 48 at the department’s entrance and left the premises.
The contempt proceedings stem from INEC’s alleged refusal to comply with a March 5 court judgment, which ordered the commission to recognize the outcome of an emergency convention held by the NRM. The convention, which took place on January 17, 2025, resulted in the emergence of Chief Edozie Njoku as the party’s National Chairman.
NRM's counsel, Mr. Oladimeji Ekengba, who brought the ex parte motion before the court, argued that INEC and its Chairman have willfully ignored the court’s order. He stated that despite being aware of the judgment—and even being present in court when it was delivered—INEC has failed to implement the ruling.
“To preserve the authority of this Honourable Court and uphold the rule of law, the Registrar issued Form 48 to compel the INEC Chairman to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for non-compliance,” the NRM said in an affidavit deposed by one Mr. Adebayo Wasiu.
The affidavit further explained the need for substituted service, citing multiple barriers and protocols that made it practically impossible for the bailiff to serve the INEC Chairman personally. The commission reportedly only accepts legal documents at a designated registry at its headquarters on Plot 430, Zambezi Crescent, Maitama, Abuja.
The court has adjourned the matter until July 15 for mention.
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