New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately comply with court judgments affirming its leadership or face nationwide protests.
NNPP’s factional National Chairman, Mr. Agbo Major, made the appeal at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.
Major said the briefing was necessary to defend Nigeria’s democracy, rule of law, and electoral integrity.
He accused INEC of continuing to recognize the Bala Mohammed-led group, which he described as an expelled faction, despite clear judicial rulings. He called this a threat to democratic values.
Reviewing the legal battles over the past three and a half years, Major explained that four judgments had resolved the leadership crisis.
An Abuja court initially described the crisis as internal, but a subsequent Abia High Court order restored leadership to the Board of Trustees, led by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, with mandates to activate all party organs.
After successful ward, local government, and zonal congresses, an FCT High Court affirmed the party’s processes.
Major noted that INEC’s delay in implementing these judgments led the faction to secure a mandamus order, demanding INEC upload the Major-led National Working Committee (NWC) within 72 hours and file compliance within 14 days.
The Owerri Court of Appeal upheld the Abia High Court ruling that it was improper for a judge to reverse his own judgment.
Despite these lawful orders, INEC had yet to comply three months later.
Major called on INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan to comply immediately or resign.
He accused INEC of bias, procrastination, and attempting to destabilize the party ahead of the 2027 elections, warning of nationwide protests if recognition was not granted.
Major dismissed a notice of appeal from the expelled group as not a stay of execution and urged the electoral body not to honor it.
Contempt proceedings against INEC are ongoing and scheduled for June 30.
On the 2027 elections, Major stated that NNPP had submitted its schedule, membership, and primaries records to INEC.
He warned that if INEC continued to exclude them, NNPP would seek court action to shorten the timeline or postpone the elections to prevent unlawful candidate exclusion.
Major urged international bodies, civil society, and the public to intervene and protect Nigeria’s democracy from regulatory overreach.
NNPP National Auditor Olayinka Dada also clarified that the party was not in coalition or alliance with any group for the 2027 presidential election.
He emphasized that NNPP, under Major’s leadership, would present a credible candidate as an alternative for voters.
