On Thursday, the factional members of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) on Thursday, strongly backed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that the electoral body had not breached any court order in relation to the party.
This is as the emerging party warned against alleged attempts by “forum shoppers” to hijack its leadership through the courts.
The party also called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to caution judicial officers against individuals it accused of exploiting the judiciary to destabilise political parties.
The NRM National Chairman, Prince Chinedu Obi, disclosed this at a press conference held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
He said, “This briefing is convened to sensitise Nigerians on the ongoing attempt by serial forum shoppers to blackmail INEC and unlawfully hijack the leadership of the National Rescue Movement through the courts.
“INEC is fully in compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court, and the Party categorically dissociates itself from the allegations of non-compliance being circulated by mischief makers.”
The clarification comes barely 24 hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), to appear before it on March 10 to answer a contempt charge brought against him by a faction of the NRM led by Edozie Njoku.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu fixed the date on Wednesday after the counsel to INEC, M.S. Bawa, however, sought an adjournment to enable him to secure the presence of the commission’s chairman in court.
Bawa told the court that Amupitan was unable to attend proceedings due to an emergency.
He further disclosed that a counter-affidavit had been filed challenging the competence of the contempt charge and urging the court to quash it.
He accused Njoku of attempting to misinterpret a court judgment delivered on March 5, 2025, to claim leadership of the party based on what he described as an “imaginary convention” allegedly held on January 17, 2025.
Obi commended INEC officials for resisting what he described as attempts to intimidate or coerce the commission into recognising what he termed an illegal leadership structure.
The NRM also urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to caution judicial officers against what it described as the activities of litigants who boast of having influence over the judiciary and claim they can procure judgments at will.
“We respectfully call on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to caution judicial officers across the country to remain vigilant against the activities of forum shoppers who boast of having influence over the judiciary and claim they can procure judgments at will,” he added.
Before adjourning the matter, Justice Obiora Egwuatu directed that a fresh hearing notice be served on the INEC chairman.
The order followed an ex parte motion filed by the NRM faction, which alleged that INEC and its chairman disobeyed a mandamus order issued by the court on March 5, 2025, directing the commission to accept the outcome of an emergency convention that produced the Njoku-led group.
But addressing journalists on Thursday, the NRM national chairman dismissed allegations of disobedience against INEC, describing them as part of a coordinated attempt to blackmail the electoral commission and unlawfully seize control of the party.
Providing background to the crisis, Obi explained that the party’s former national chairman, Isaac Chigozie Udeh, was suspended on September 19, 2024, by his polling unit over allegations of anti-party activities and subsequently passed a vote of no confidence on September 23, 2024.
The party chair alleged that Udeh, anticipating the ratification, connived with Njoku to destabilise the party by attempting to convene an emergency convention without the approval of the party’s leadership organs.
