Wednesday, April 22, 2026 -The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a contempt charge seeking to commit the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan to prison for alleged flagrant disobedience to the order of court.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik struck out the suit on Tuesday
following the failure of the applicant, Edozie Njoku and his team to diligently
prosecute the charge as required by law.
One Chief Edozie Njoku who claimed to be National Chairman
of the National Rescue Movement, NRM, a political party in the country filed
form 48 against the INEC boss, praying the court to commit him to Kuje prison
for alleged refusal to monitor the convention of the party.
However, following the persistent failure of Njoku to serve
the Committal proceeding papers on Amupitan’s person, Justice Abdulmalik
invoked the provisions of the law to throw away the request.
Justice Abdulmalik said it was not the duty of the court to
help any litigant in serving court process on any defendant but the entire duty
of the applicant in such a matter.
The judge held that since contempt charge is semi criminal
in nature, the form 48 must be served on the alleged contemnor in person adding
that where the applicant failed to do the needful to help its own case, the
charge would be liable to be struck as the only option for the court.
She subsequent struck out the bid by Njoku against the INEC
chairman.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu also of the Federal High Court in
Abuja, was said to have issued an order to INEC to monitor the party’s
convention but it could not be carried out, as a similar convention of the same
party had just been conducted.
Reacting to the court decision, the National Chairman of the
party, Dr Chinedu Obi commended the decision of the court in striking out the
contempt charge against Amupitan.
Obi, who spoke newsmen in company of the National Secretary,
Alhaji Hassan Aminu Ibrahim and the National Legal Adviser, Barrister Musa
Isiaka maintained that Njoku was never a member of the party but acted like a
forum shopper to hijack the party from the original owners.
“Go to INEC website, you will never seen Njoku’s name there
but that of the 14- member National Executive Committee under our leadership
and the state chairmen of the party in the country”.
He charged members of the party across the country to be
resolute and committed to the course of the party.
Obi said with the striking out of Njoku’s contempt charge
against INEC chairman, the coast has become clear for effective participation
in the 2027 general elections.
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