From Godwin Tsa Abuja

A senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joe Agi, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize the Chief Edozie Njoku-led National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Rescue Movement in strict compliance with a subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court.

In a protest letter on behalf of the party to INEC’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Agi explained that Njoku and other members of its NEC were elected on January 17, 2025, at the emergency national convention of the party held in Abuja.

Speaking in Abuja over the development, Njoku said he is hopeful that INEC will comply with a subsisting order of a court of competent jurisdiction and accord the necessary recognition to the NRM’s NEC that emerged from the party’s January 17 convention.

“INEC is in direct disobedience of the subsisting orders of the court against which it did not utilise the 90-day window to appeal both the ex parte order and judgement as stipulated by law.

“Pertinently, the commission was a party to the suit and was duly represented in every proceeding leading to the judgment.

We have written to INEC and forwarded the court’s orders to it, hoping it will act accordingly,” Njoku said.

The letter added that since the emergence of Chief Njoku as National Chairman of NRM, INEC and its Chairman have allegedly refused to recognise him and the NEC members as leaders of the party despite a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, during INEC to recognise them.

On January 16 Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja issued an order mandating INEC to “monitor and accept” the outcome of NRM’s emergency convention held on January 17.

Following delay by INEC to recognise the leadership that emerged from the January 17 convention, the NRM went back to court and, on March 5, Justice Obiora Egwuatu issued an order of mandamus, compelling INEC and its Chairman to recognise the Chief Njoku-led NEC of the party.

Also, in the letter, dated June 4, NRM stated that “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 Emergency 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.

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.”