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ABUJA -The leadership of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accord due recognition to the Chief Edozie Njoku, led national executive committee of the party, or risk a contempt proceeding.
Chief Njoku and other members of the NRM leadership were elected on January 17, 2025, at the emergency national convention of the party held in Abuja.
However, since the emergence of Chief Edozie Njoku, as National Chairman of NRM, the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has refused to recognise him and the NEC members as leaders of the party despite an order of court to do so.
Before the emergency national convention, NRM had approached the Court seeking an ex parte order to impel INEC to monitor the said convention.
Amongst other reliefs, NRM prayed the Court for; “leave to apply for a writ of mandamus compelling the Respondent (INEC) to perform its official duty as contained in Sections 82(1) & 83 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022 by monitoring the emergency national convention of the Applicant (NRM) following the depletion and the lopsidedness in the National Executive Committee of the Applicant”.
On January 16, the NRM secured an order of a Federal High Court Abuja, mandating the electoral body to “monitor and accept” the outcome of the exercise.
Also, a judgment by Justice Donatus Egwuatu of the Federal High Court Abuja, delivered on March 5, 2025, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/45/2025, had ordered the INEC to recognize Chief Njoku and those who emerged from the emergency convention as authentic leaders of the party.
Addressing the press at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Asokoro, National Chairman of NRM, Chief Njoku, expressed optimism that INEC would recognize him and the NEC of the party, having not appealled the judgment of Justice Egwuatu.
“The party (INEC) is in direct disobedience of the subsisting orders of the court in which it did not utilise their 90days window to appeal both the ex parte order and judgement as stipulated by law.
“Pertinently, the Commission was a party to this suit and was duly represented throughout the matter, Njoku revealed.
“We have written to INEC and forwarded the court orders to them, hoping they will act accordingly, the NRM National Chairman stated.
A letter to the INEC Chairman, dated June 4, and written by the party’s counsel, Joe Agi, SAN, stated “It is abundantly clear that the orders of the Court were very explicit: to monitor and accept the outcome of the said Convention.
“The Commission, for reasons best known to them, refused neither to monitor the convention of January 17, 2025, nor accept the outcome of the Ememergency national convention.
“Going forward, INEC did not take up their option to appeal, either the order of January 16, 2025, or the judgment of March 5, 2025, up until now that their 90 days period of appeal has elapsed” the party wrote.
Consequently, the NRM leadership has vowed to begin a contempt proceeding against INEC if it fails to do the needful.
“Sir, we have laboured to cite the above relevant judgments of our courts and to also notify you that we have commenced a contempt proceeding against you.
“We urge you to obey the judgment of the court and purge yourself of this contemptuous act.
“Should you fail, we shall not hesitate to urge the court to commit you to prison in line with the rule of law. A stitch in time, saves nine,” the NRM warned.