AC leadership: INEC denies media report over disobeying court

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied media reports alleging that it disobeyed an order from the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State.

The commission stated this in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, on Friday in Abuja.

Olumekun said that the commission’s attention had been drawn to some media reports on the court order for the arrest of the immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu for purportedly disobeying its judgement on a case involving the Action Alliance party (AA).

Olumekun described the reports as “misleading” and a mischievous portrayal of a corporate matter as an individual one.

Olumekun said that while the reports made reference to the Sept. 29 court order, it failed to acknowledge INEC’s subsequent actions toward compliance.

Olumekun said: “In line with its long-established tradition of always obeying court judgements and orders, the Commission on Monday Oct. 6, which was still within the deadline, filed processes at the Federal High Court, Osogbo to show that we had complied with its judgement and order of recognising the AA executive elected on Oct. 7 2023 at Abeokuta, Ogun State

“The dashboard of the Commission’s website showing compliance was tendered as evidence.

“However, when the judgement creditors filed a counter affidavit to complain that the Commission partially complied by listing the names of only four national executives without the National Chairman, Rufai Omoaje, the Commission responded.

He further explained that INEC responded by attaching the Notice of Appeal filed by the same Omoaje at the Supreme Court, challenging the judgement of the Court of Appeal sacking him as the National Chairman of the party.

Olumekun said that the judgement of the Court of Appeal was superior to that of the Federal High Court, hence, the commission could not list Omoaje’s name as the Chairman of the AC when the judgement of the Appeal Court was still subsisting.

He appealed to media organisations to fact-check their reports before publication to avoid misleading the public.