A new legal dispute has erupted around the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when employees allegedly refused to accept court documents intended for Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the commission’s chairman. The INEC chief was to be served with the documents as part of contempt proceedings, which included Form 48, a legal notification of the implications of violating a court order.
On Friday, June 20, 2025, the National Rescue Movement (NRM) sounded the alarm in Abuja through Anselem Nebeife, its National Publicity Secretary. Nebeife claims that Mr. Ayuba Sule, the court bailiff, purposefully thwarted his attempts to deliver the documents to INEC headquarters.
This comes after the Federal High Court in Abuja’s Justice Obiora Egwuatu rendered a decision earlier this week. NRM’s plea to use any commission employee at its national headquarters to serve Yakubu with the contempt charge was granted by the judge. Following NRM’s accusation that INEC had disregarded a court ruling acknowledging Chief Edozie Njoku as its national chairman, this order was issued.
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Nebeife clarified that at the request of the staff, Mr. Sule initially went to the INEC Chairman’s office and introduced himself. Staff allegedly refused to accept the court documents after looking over them and sent the bailiff to the Legal Department. Another employee allegedly looked at the Form 48 there, handed it back, and said, “Don’t you see that this is Form 48? I adore my job, please. The bailiff left the documents on the Legal Department floor and left the area in frustration.
Form 48 is a crucial document that warns of the repercussions of disobeying a court order, according to legal experts. The contempt proceedings were scheduled for July 15, 2025, by Justice Egwuatu, who emphasized the importance of adhering to the court’s order to serve the notice through any staff member.
This event occurs at a time when INEC is being questioned about how well it complies with internal reforms and court decisions. As the commission gets ready for the general elections in 2027, the outcome of the contempt proceedings may have an impact on the commission’s leadership.
