By Nkechi Eze
The National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Chief Kenneth Udeze, has dismissed as false and misleading reports claiming that a Federal High Court in Osogbo ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Udeze urged Nigerians to disregard the rumours, describing them as deliberate misinformation spread by disgruntled individuals.
“It has come to our attention that some persons are circulating false claims that a Federal High Court ordered the arrest of former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. There is no such ruling anywhere. Nigerians and our members should ignore this baseless story,” he said.
Earlier reports had suggested that Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, directed the arrest of Professor Yakubu for allegedly failing to comply with a judgment ordering INEC to relist certain national officers of the Action Alliance on its website. The suit was reportedly filed by a former party member, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, and others seeking recognition as the party’s legitimate leaders.
However, Udeze insisted that the claims originated from individuals who had long been expelled from the party. He explained that the leadership crisis in the Action Alliance had been fully resolved in his favour by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
“The question of who leads the Action Alliance has been conclusively settled by competent courts in Abuja in our favour,” he stated. “Omoaje and his group, having lost repeatedly, are now resorting to fraudulent means to mislead the public by claiming a dubious judgment from Osogbo.”
He described the purported ruling as “fraudulently obtained” and revealed that the party’s legal team had been instructed to take immediate legal steps to nullify it.
Udeze called on all party members nationwide to remain calm and united, stressing that the leadership remains legitimate and recognised. “Our members should not be distracted by these antics aimed at destabilising the party. We are taking all lawful measures to protect the integrity of our leadership and the unity of Action Alliance,” he added.
