Abuja: The National Chairman of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Dr. Chinedu Obi, has affirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is adhering to all judicial decisions related to the party’s leadership dispute. Obi addressed these concerns during a news conference held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, dismissing accusations of non-compliance by INEC as ‘blackmail’ from what he described as ‘serial forum shoppers.’
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Obi strongly criticized any efforts to unlawfully seize the party’s leadership through judicial maneuvers, emphasizing that INEC has acted in accordance with the rule of law. He stated that INEC is fully compliant with the Federal High Court’s judgment and distanced the party from rumors of non-compliance propagated by what he termed as mischief makers.
The leadership crisis within the party dates back to September 2024, when former chairman Isaac Udeh was suspended for alleged anti-party activities. Obi accused Udeh of conspiring with Mr. Edozie Njoku, a former factional chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to disrupt the NRM, despite Njoku’s removal from APGA by the Supreme Court. Obi highlighted that an unauthorized ‘Emergency National Convention’ was attempted on January 17, 2025, which INEC refused to monitor due to non-compliance with constitutional guidelines.
Obi further explained that the party held a valid convention on April 14, 2025, which was properly communicated to INEC and monitored by the commission. He contended that Njoku was constitutionally ineligible to lead the NRM, as he continued to present himself as the APGA chairman as recently as November 2024, without receiving a membership waiver from the NRM.
Expressing gratitude towards INEC’s Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) department for its resilience against intimidation, Obi also praised the integrity of the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan. He noted that Njoku and his associates had initiated contempt proceedings against the former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, alleging disobedience of a court order. However, Obi assured that the former chairman had defended INEC’s institutional integrity robustly.
Obi called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to advise judicial officers against litigants who claim to have sway over the courts. Addressing questions on the new Electoral Act, Obi voiced concerns about the stipulations requiring parties to employ consensus or direct primaries for selecting candidates. He also mentioned that the NRM has digitized its membership register in preparation for the 2027 elections and is collaborating with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) to establish a unified stance on the new Act.