The leadership of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), which emerged from the party emergency national convention that took place in Abuja on January 17, has been officially recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as ordered by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Edozie Njoku was elected to the position of National Chairman of the NRM as a result of the emergency convention that was held to fill vacant positions in the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party and to correct inequality in its composition.
A position that Justice Obiora Egwuatu criticized in a judgment that was handed down on Wednesday was that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to accept the outcome of the convention because it did not monitor the exercise.
It was declared by Justice Egwuatu that the respondent is under a constitutional obligation to accept and monitor the emergency convention of the applicant (NRM) in order to fill vacancy and correct lopsidedness in its National Executive Committee (NEC). This obligation is in accordance with the provisions of Sections 82(1) and 83 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The failure of the respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to accept and monitor the emergency convention of the applicant to fill vacancy and correct lopsidedness in its National Electoral Commission (NEC) amounted to a refusal or failure to discharge its constitutional and/or public duty, contrary to the provisions of Sections 82(1) and 83 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and was therefore unconstitutional and unlawful. He also declared that this failure was unprecedented. The judge then proceeded to issue an order of mandamus that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to “accept and monitor the emergency convention of the applicant to fill vacancy and correct lopsidedness in its NEC and recognize the decision or outcome of the convention.”