The National Rescue Movement (NRM) says it has contacted its team of lawyers to address the alleged imposition of candidate on the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State.
The NRM said it was taken aback that INEC that had refused to recognise its National Electoral Committee (NEC), constituted at its last emergency convention held on Jan.17, and turned around to publish the name of a candidate for the poll.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday the immediate-past National Chairman of the party, who is now the National Organising Secretary of the NRM, Mr Isaac-Chigozie Udeh, confirmed this.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC had, recently, announced Nov. 8 for the conduct of the governorship election in Anambra.
Udeh said that although his name “still remains the party’s national chairman in INEC’s record and website,”; he, at no time, submitted any candidate’s name to the electoral body for his party in respect of the Anambra election.
“On January 16, 2025, we got an order impelling INEC to monitor our emergency national convention slated for January 17, 2025. INEC was duly notified.
“The emergency national convention was held and Chief Edozie Njoku and other national executives were elected.
“I stepped down (as the National Chairman) to become the National Organising Secretary of the party.
“On March 5, 2025, Hon. Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, went further to give a judgement impelling INEC to accept and recognise the outcome of the January 17, 2025, emergency national convention of the party,”; he said.
He stated that even though INEC was informed about the court order on January 16 and the judgment on March 5, still went ahead and monitored an illegal NEC meeting on January 27, 2025, as well as Emergency National Convention held on April 14, 2025.
He said this was in total defiance to the subsisting court order impelling the commission to recognise the national executives of the party that emerged from Jan. 17 convention.
“INEC went ahead to reject all the letters we wrote notifying them of our electoral activities in preparation for the Anambra governorship election and the need for them to monitor it as required by the law.
“Brazenly, INEC chose to monitor the illegal governorship primaries organised by Mr. Chinedu Obi, the National Welfare Officer of the party,”; he said.
Udeh accused some identified INEC’s officials of allegedly subverting the intention and efforts of the NRM to function effectively as a political party under a new leadership led by Chief Njoku.
He accused the said officials of misleading INEC of violate Subsection 2.5 (a), (b) and (d) of the Electoral Act 2022 relating to how a political party submit its candidates’ list and particulars to INEC.
“It is abundantly clear that the purported name inserted against NRM, in the Anambra governorship election does not have the approval of the legally recognised NRM National Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku.
“It also does not have my endorsement, as the man whose names still adorns the commission’s website,”; he stated.
He accused the said INEC officials of engaging in forgery, wondering how they came about his signature and that of Njoku.
“This is the requirement of the law. Outside the two of us, no other person(s) has the right to sign or authenticate the party’s candidate.
“Our lawyers have been contacted to act accordingly in addressing this very disturbing scenario.
“We urge Nigerians that holding public office holders accountable is part of our civic duty. No one should shy away from it,”; Udeh said.
