Court Subpoenas INEC Chairman to Produce Tinubu’s 1999, 2023 Electoral Records in Sowore Trial
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued a subpoena compelling the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, to appear before it and produce electoral documents relating to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s governorship ambition in 1999 and his presidential bid in 2023.
The development is connected to the ongoing criminal trial of human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, who is facing prosecution over his description of President Tinubu as a criminal.
Sowore announced the development in a Facebook post, where he shared copies of the subpoena and a hearing notice reportedly served on the INEC chairman.
The subpoena, titled Subpoena Duces Tecum, specifically requests two sets of electoral documents submitted by Tinubu to INEC.
The first is the INEC Form CF01 submitted by Tinubu during the 1999 Lagos State governorship election, including an affidavit relating to lost certificates. The second is the Form CF01 he submitted as a presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.
According to the court document, the subpoena was issued in Charge No. FHC/CR/484/2025 and directs Professor Amupitan to appear before the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, in Courtroom 5, on October 26, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
The INEC chairman is expected to remain in court until the matter is determined. He is also required to produce the requested electoral records and testify on behalf of Sowore, who is the defendant in the criminal proceedings.
The subpoena bears the date October 26, 2026, while a separate court application seeking its issuance was dated October 23, 2026. The documents identify Justice Mohammed Garba Umar as the presiding judge.
The criminal case was instituted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria against Sowore over his public remarks concerning President Tinubu.
By seeking the intervention of the court, Sowore is attempting to compel INEC’s leadership to provide official records connected to Tinubu’s electoral submissions during the 1999 Lagos governorship election and the 2023 presidential election.
The documents could become relevant to the proceedings as the court considers the issues raised in the case.
The development adds another significant dimension to Sowore’s ongoing legal battle with the Federal Government, particularly as the activist seeks to have electoral records from two different election periods brought before the court.
