ABUJA, Nigeria: The New Nigeria Peoples Party [NNPP] has issued a formal demand to Nigeria’s national election management organization, the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], seeking immediate compliance with a court ruling regarding the leadership of the political faction. Okay News reports that the party has also requested an urgent meeting to resolve what it describes as a persistent failure by the electoral body to acknowledge its legitimate executives.
In a legal letter dated Monday, April 13, 2026, the political party expressed deep frustration over the electoral commission’s inaction. The correspondence, delivered by the law firm Lex Firma Limited Partnership, was addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission and copied to its Director of Legal Services. The dispute centres on a judgment delivered on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, by a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. The party had previously notified the commission of this ruling on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, requesting compliance within a 72-hour window, which expired without action during standard working hours at West African Time [WAT, GMT+1].
Addressing the prolonged silence, the legal representatives stated: “Regrettably, despite the clear and unambiguous orders of the Court mandating compliance within 72 hours, more than three weeks have elapsed without any response whatsoever from the Commission.” They further noted: “No steps have been taken to comply with the subsisting judgment, nor has any formal communication been issued to our client explaining the Commission’s position.”
The situation is complicated by recent political realignments within Nigeria. The New Nigeria Peoples Party highlighted that Doctor Ajuji Ahmed and his political allies, along with prominent Nigerian politician Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have publicly defected to a rival organization, the African Democratic Congress [ADC]. The party argued: “It is therefore surprising that the Commission continues to withhold recognition from the authentic leadership of the NNPP, while appearing to recognise individuals who have openly decamped from the Party and who have repeatedly failed in their claims before courts of competent jurisdiction,”
The political group warned that ignoring judicial directives threatens the foundation of the country’s legal system. The official letter read: “Indeed, the notion that any person or authority can elect to ignore a valid and subsisting judgment of a court, or proceed to interpret such judgment from the comfort of its offices without recourse to due process, is most distressing and does not augur well for the rule of law in this country,” Expressing further dismay at the lack of communication, the party added: “It is equally troubling that the Commission… has consistently refused to engage with our client despite the service of several letters. To date, no response has been received, nor has any formal invitation been extended,”
Reminding the electoral body of its legal obligations, the party emphasized: “We must respectfully reiterate… that a judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction remains binding on all parties until it is set aside by a superior court,” They also pointed out that “no order of stay of execution has been granted” to halt the enforcement of the ruling. The party cautioned that the ongoing stalemate could have severe consequences for voters. “Continued delay in compliance may result in the disenfranchisement of thousands of supporters of the Party, an outcome which would be both unjust and avoidable.”
Seeking a peaceful resolution, the party concluded the correspondence by stating: “Without prejudice to the above, and in the spirit of amicable engagement, we hereby formally request a meeting between representatives of the Commission and officials of the National Working Committee of the NNPP to discuss and resolve the issues,” The leadership expressed optimism that a scheduled meeting would facilitate “constructive dialogue and an amicable resolution of the present impasse,”
