AA Crisis: No Court Order For Arrest Of Ex-INEC Chairman Yakubu — Udeze

The National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Kenneth Udeze, has dismissed media reports claiming that a court ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the immediate-past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

Udeze, in a statement on Thursday, described the reports as false and urged Nigerians to disregard them.

It had earlier been reported that Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, ordered the arrest and imprisonment of Prof. Yakubu for allegedly disobeying a judgement arising from a suit filed by some former members of the party.

The suit, marked FHC/OS/194/2024, reportedly sought an order compelling INEC and its then chairman to relist the names of certain national officers of the Action Alliance on the Commission’s website after they were allegedly removed.

However, Udeze maintained that there was no such judgement or order of arrest, insisting that the reports were fabricated.

“On the issue of the purported court order against the former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, I want Nigerians to disregard such false rumours. There is no such judgment anywhere,” Udeze said.

He further rejected another judgement said to have been delivered by the same Federal High Court in Osogbo, which allegedly affirmed the Adekunle Rufai Omoaje-led faction as the authentic leadership of the AA.

Udeze insisted that the question of the party’s legitimate leadership had long been settled by both the trial court and the Court of Appeal in favour of his own national leadership.

“The issue of who leads Action Alliance has been conclusively determined by competent courts in our favour,” he said. “Our team of lawyers has been directed to take all necessary legal steps to vacate this so-called judgment.”

He appealed to party members and supporters across the country to remain calm, law-abiding, and focused on the party’s ongoing activities.

“The Action Alliance faithful across Nigeria and beyond should remain calm and law-abiding. The national leadership under my watch is in firm control of the party’s affairs,” Udeze assured.