Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, faces potential jail time after the Federal High Court in Abuja served him with Form 49 for alleged disobedience of a court order.
The notice, served on Tuesday, June 24, by court bailiff Ayuba Sule, followed the earlier service of Form 48 last week.
The action was initiated by the National Rescue Movement (NRM), which accused Yakubu of failing to comply with a March 5 judgment ordering INEC to recognise the outcome of its Emergency National Convention held on January 17, 2025.
Form 49 is a critical legal step requiring the alleged contemnor to show cause why they should not be committed to prison for defying a court ruling. It typically follows Form 48, which warns of the consequences of such defiance.
Court Gives Yakubu Ultimatum to Comply With Judgment
“By the service of Form 49, Mahmoud has just a few days to comply with the judgment of the court, or he will be docked in the court, where he will have to explain why he has refused to obey its judgment,” NRM spokesperson Chinedu Anselem said in a statement.
The party accused the INEC chairman of a pattern of disregard for the judiciary, saying, “If history is anything to go by, Mahmoud’s defiance of Court Orders may have earned him an indelible scar that can make him easily identifiable wherever he goes.”
The NRM vowed to pursue the matter to its conclusion. “Our determination and resolve are a clarion call on Nigerians that the rule of law must prevail,” Anselem added.
Yakubu Responds: ‘I’m Used to Form 48 and 49’
In response to journalists during a media parley on Wednesday, June 25, Professor Yakubu shrugged off the legal threat.
“I’m used to being served Form 48 and Form 49,” he said.
However, the Commission’s legal adviser clarified that steps were already being taken to resolve the issue amicably.
