The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Prof. Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan to appear on 10 March to answer a contempt charge filed by the National Rescue Mission (NRM).
Justice Obiora Egwuatu fixed the date after INEC’s counsel, M.S. Bawa, requested an adjournment, citing an emergency that prevented Amupitan’s attendance. Bawa also informed the court that a counter-affidavit had been filed, challenging the competence of the contempt charge and urging the court to quash it.
NRM’s counsel, Oladimeji Ekengba, countered that contempt proceedings require the alleged contemnor to appear in court. ‘My Lord, this is a contempt charge that requires the defendant to be present in the dock. We wonder why he is not here today’, he said.
Before adjourning, Justice Egwuatu directed that a fresh hearing notice be served on the INEC chairman. The court had previously approved substituted service, allowing Form 48 — a notice warning of consequences for disobeying a court order — to be served on the chairman via any staff member at INEC’s national headquarters.
The contempt proceedings stem from an ex parte motion filed by the NRM, alleging that INEC and its chairman disobeyed a mandamus order issued on 5 March 2025. The order directed INEC to recognise the outcome of an emergency convention that produced the Chief Edozie Njoku-led executive committee of the party.
In an affidavit supporting the motion, the NRM said INEC was fully aware of the 17 January 2025 convention and the court’s ruling, noting that the commission’s counsel was present when the judgment was delivered. Despite being served with the enrolled order, INEC allegedly failed to comply.
The affidavit stated in part:
‘To prevent reducing this Honourable Court to a toothless bulldog and to uphold justice, the Registrar, on the Judgment Creditor’s application, issued Form 48 to be served on the Respondent’s Chairman to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for failing to comply with the judgment’.
NRM officials, led by Chief Edozie Njoku, were present in court on Wednesday. After the adjournment, Njoku expressed optimism that INEC would comply with the court order and recognise the party’s leadership.
