Former National Chairman/current National Organisizng Secretary of National Rescue Movement(NRM), Ambassador Isaac Udeh, has threatened to institute legal action against two Directors in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged forgery.
NRM alleged that the two INEC staff released the party’s key/code to upload names of candidates for the forthcoming Anambra Governorship election.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Udeh demanded that INEC must explain who it released the code to, or face law suit.
“I want the world to note that it is not the first time that two women Directors of the EPM Department will unilaterally take decisions for the Party, for reasons best known to them.
“Unarguably, these two Directors are in utter violation of Section 2:0 (Procedure for the Submission of Nomination Forms by Political Parties) of the Commission’s revered ‘Guidelines for Nomination of Candidates for Elections’ of 2022, which was duly signed by the Chairman of the Commission himself, for ease of operations and transparency in nomination of candidates during elections.
“Pathetically, they mislead the Commission and grossly violated Subsection 2.5 (a), (b) and (d), especially, where it stated clearly that ‘every Political Party intending to sponsor candidates for elections in accordance with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 shall:
(a.) ‘Obtain access codes from the Commission….’
(b.) ‘Upload covering letter duly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party’.
“It is abundantly clear that the purported name inserted against NRM, in the Anambra Governorship Election doesn’t have the approval of the legally recognized NRM National Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku nor does it have my endorsement, the man whose names still adorns the Commission’s website. This is the requirement of the law.
“At the moment, the Party suspects that the Directors may have committed forgery; because that it is the only thing that can explain how they got either Chief Njoku’s signature or mine. 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” Amb. Udeh stated.
The NRM therefore urged Nigerians to hold public office holders accountable, as it is part of their civic duties, adding that no one should shy away from it.
Ambassador Udeh, whose name is still on INEC website, wondered why INEC has refused to substitute his name with that of the current National Chairman of NRM, Chief Edozie Njoku.
Udeh recounted that on January 16, 2025, NRM got an order impelling INEC to monitor it’s emergency National Convention slated for January 17, 2025, which the electoral body was duly notified.
“The emergency National Convention was held and Chief Edozie Njoku and other National Executives were elected. I stepped down to become the National Organizing Secretary of the Party” Udeh stated.
Further to the above, on March 5, 2025, Hon. Justice Obiorah Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, gave a judgement impelling INEC to “accept and recognize” the outcome of the January 17, 2025, Emergency National Convention of the Party, and INEC was duly notified.
In defiance to the subsisting order and judgment of the court, Udeh claimed the EPM Department of INEC decided to monitor an illegal NEC meeting on January 27, 2025, and the purported emergency National Convention of April 14, 2025.
He disclosed that INEC also rejected all the letters the party wrote notifying them of its 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 organized by Mr. Chinedu Obi, the National Welfare Officer of the Party.
