From Bamigbola Gbolagunte

The Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Wednesday gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its national chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu up to 14th July 2024 to obey its earlier judgment which directed it to upload the name of Hon Adekunle Rufai Omoaje as the national chairman of the Action Alliance (AA) on its official portal or face severe consequences.

The court also reaffirmed its earlier judgment that Omoaje and other members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party elected at the 2023 elective convention of the party held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital be recognized forthwith as the national chairman and executives of the party respectively.

This is even as the court ordered INEC to upload the names of the party’s officials on the commission’s portal as earlier ordered in its ruling delivered on March 11, 2025, stressing that any action of the commission contrary to that will attract sanctions.

At the resumed hearing of the case between Action Alliance and INEC before Justice Funmilola Dem-Ajayi, the court reaffirmed its earlier order, ruling that the March 11 judgment of the court still subsists and will not deliver any other ruling until the earlier judgement is duly obeyed.

Both Omoaje and Action Alliance had filed contempt suit before the court over the failure of INEC and Prof Yakubu to obey the court order which reinstated Omoaje as the national chairman of the party.

The trial judge, Justice Funmilola Dem-Ajayi was taken aback by the disobedience of INEC on the court order as the commission failed to upload the name of Omoaje on its portal four months after judgment was delivered.

However, counsel to INEC, Mr Hammed Mohammed told the court that he has an application to file before the court and the court directed that the application be filed before the next adjourned date fixed for July 14.

Mohammed said INEC had obeyed the court order partially by recognizing the state chairmen elected at the 2023 elective convention of the party held in Abeokuta under the Adekunle Rufai Omoaje led leadership.

However, the court insisted that the court order should be obeyed fully and not partially.

The court had in March this year held that the convention organized by Udeze was a nullity and declared that the only recognized convention of the party was the one held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta in Ogun State in 2023, which produced Hon Omoaje as the national chairman of the party.

Besides, the court affirmed that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Action Alliance, as constituted on the 7th of October, 2023 led by Omoaje, remains the authentic and lawful leadership of the party, stressing that any claim to the contrary is baseless.

Also, the court affirmed that the official address of the national secretariat of the party is situated at Plot 955, number 17, Femi Otedola Crescent, off seventh avenue, Gwarimpa, Abuja.

Specifically, Justice Dem-Ajayi declared that any attempt by any individual or group of people to operate from any unauthorized location is a deliberate effort to mislead the public and is not recognised by law.

Among other reliefs granted by the court include the nullification of the membership verification exercise organised by the Udeze led faction and held at his shop located at Virginia pavilion, Kubwa extension, Abuja.

The court awarded a cost of #200,000 against the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC

However, Justice Funmilola Dem-Ajayi expressed worry that the cost awarded against Udeze was yet to be paid.