The Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), to personally appear before it to answer a contempt charge brought against him by the National Rescue Mission (NRM).
Justice Obiora Egwuatu issued the order on Wednesday and fixed March 10 for the INEC chairman to appear in court. The date was set after counsel to INEC, M.S. Bawa, sought an adjournment, informing the court that Amupitan was absent due to an emergency.
Bawa also disclosed that the commission had filed a counter-affidavit challenging the competence of the contempt charge and urging the court to quash it.
However, counsel to the NRM, Oladimeji Ekengba, objected to the INEC chairman’s absence, arguing that the nature of contempt proceedings required the alleged contemnor to be physically present in the dock.
“My lord, this is a contempt charge that requires the defendant to be present in the dock while the proceedings are ongoing. We wonder why he is not here today,” Ekengba submitted.
Before adjourning the matter, Justice Egwuatu directed that a fresh hearing notice be served on the INEC chairman.
The contempt charge stems from an alleged disobedience of a court order. The NRM had approached the court, claiming that INEC and its chairman failed to comply with a mandamus order issued on March 5, 2025. That order had directed the commission to accept 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 maintained that INEC was fully aware of both the January 17, 2025, emergency convention and the court’s judgment, noting that the commission’s counsel was present when the ruling was delivered. The party stated that despite being served with the enrolled order, INEC had allegedly failed to comply.
The party further argued that to prevent the court from being reduced to a “toothless bulldog,” the Registrar had issued Form 48—a notice warning of the consequences of disobeying a court order—which was served on the INEC chairman at the commission’s headquarters.
National officers of the NRM, led by Chief Edozie Njoku, were present in court during Wednesday’s proceedings. Speaking to journalists after the adjournment, Njoku expressed optimism that the INEC chairman would comply with the subsisting judgment by recognising the party’s leadership as affirmed by the court.
The court had earlier granted an order for substituted service of the contempt processes on the INEC chairman, allowing Form 48 to be delivered by handing it to any staff member at the commission’s national headquarters.
The matter is adjourned till March 10 for the INEC chairman to appear and for further proceedings in the contempt charge.
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