Court Dismisses Contempt Charge Against INEC Chairman Amupitan

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a contempt charge seeking to commit INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan to prison, ruling there was no case against him.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik struck out the suit on Tuesday after finding that the applicant, Chief Edozie Njoku, failed to properly prosecute the charge as required by law.

Njoku, who claims to be the National Chairman of the National Rescue Movement, had filed Form 48 against Amupitan over alleged failure to monitor a party convention organized by his faction.

Procedural Flaw

Justice Abdulmalik noted that Njoku consistently failed to personally serve the committal proceeding papers on the INEC Chairman, a requirement she said was essential because contempt proceedings are quasi-criminal in nature.

“It is not the responsibility of the court to assist a litigant in serving court processes on a defendant,” the judge ruled.

The dismissal stems from an earlier order by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the same court, which had directed INEC to monitor the NRM convention. The commission could not comply because another convention for the same party had already been conducted.

NRM Reaction

NRM National Chairman Dr. Chinedu Obi welcomed the ruling, describing Njoku as a “forum shopper” attempting to hijack party leadership despite not being a recognized member.

Obi pointed out that the INEC website recognizes the 14-member National Executive Committee under his leadership, along with various state chairmen across the country.

The decision clears the path for NRM to focus on the 2027 general elections without the distraction of internal leadership disputes.

Sources: Politics Nigeria, Guardian, The Sun