A Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) immediately recognise the leadership of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) emerging from its emergency national convention held on January 17. The convention, organized to fill vacancies and correct imbalances within the party’s National Executive Committee, culminated in the election of Chief Edozie Njoku as NRM’s National Chairman.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, delivering the judgment, faulted INEC for its refusal to monitor the convention despite the NRM providing proper notice that complied with the mandatory 21-day requirement. The judge stressed that INEC is constitutionally bound to accept and oversee the emergency convention—a failure to do so contravenes Sections 82(1) and 83(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, rendering such inaction unconstitutional and unlawful.
Consequently, Justice Egwuatu issued a mandamus order compelling INEC to monitor the convention and recognise its outcome, thereby validating Chief Edozie Njoku’s leadership. Reacting to the ruling, Chief Njoku urged INEC to comply with the court order immediately, affirming that the constitutional amendments and leadership decisions from the convention are legal and binding.
