By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– Ahead of the Anambra state governorship election billed for November 8, the National Rescue Movement, NRM, has vowed to approach the court to challenge alleged imposition of a candidate on it by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The party, in a statement, said it has mobilised its lawyers to lodge a suit for INEC to be compelled to explain before a court, how it got a name it published as its flag-bearer for the impending gubernatorial poll.

It further queried the electoral body to explain who it released the party’s Key/Code to upload names of candidates for the election.

In the statement that was signed by the immediate past National Chairman of the NRM, Ambassador Isaac Udeh, the party stressed that it had on January 16, secured an order of court that compelled INEC to monitor its Emergency National Convention that held the next day.

It maintained that it was at the said convention that new National Executives of the party, led by Chief Edozie Njoku, were elected.

Udeh, who wondered why INEC still retained his name on its website as the National Chairman of the party despite the outcome of the convention, said he had voluntarily stepped down to become the National Organizing Secretary of the party.

“In total defiance to the subsisting court order impelling INEC to recognize the National Executives of the party that emerged from January 17, 2025, INEC went ahead to reject all the letters we wrote notifying them of the our electoral activities in preparation for the Anambra Governorship election and they need for them to monitor it as required by the law,” Udeh stated.

He alleged that INEC officials colluded with an aggrieved former National Welfare Officer of the party to bypass the authentic national leadership of the court that has been recognised by the court.

According to the former NRM’s Chairman, INEC was misled to violate Subsection 2.5 (a), (b) and (d) of the Electoral Act 2022, which relates to how a political party should submit its list and particulars of candidates for an election.

“It is abundantly clear that the purported name inserted against NRM, in the Anambra governorship election does not have the approval of the legally recognised NRM National Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku.

“It also does not have my endorsement, as the man whose names still adorns the commission’s website,” he stated.

More so, Udeh accused the said INEC officials of engaging in forgery, wondering how they came about his signature and that of Njoku.

“This is the requirement of the law. 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.

“We assure Nigerians that holding public office holders accountable is part of our civic duty. No one should shy away from it and we will not,” he added.