A faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) led by Dr. Agbo Major has called for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, over the commission’s handling of the party’s leadership dispute.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Major accused INEC of failing to obey court rulings related to the internal crisis within the party.
He claimed that despite several judgments on the matter, the electoral body continued to recognize individuals whom the faction insists are no longer members of the NNPP.
Major said the disagreement over the party’s leadership had remained before the courts for more than a year and that various rulings had affirmed the legitimacy of the party’s congresses as well as its Board of Trustees structure.
According to him, the party completed all required procedures and forwarded relevant documents to INEC, but the commission allegedly failed to act in line with the court decisions.
The NNPP faction leader argued that the continued refusal to implement the judgments raises concerns about respect for the rule of law and the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process.
He maintained that the issue goes beyond party politics and touches on the integrity of the country’s electoral system.
He further alleged that a court had ordered INEC to comply with its judgment within 72 hours and submit proof of compliance within 14 days.
However, he claimed that months after the order was issued, the commission had yet to carry out the directive.
Major also accused certain individuals of attempting to interfere with the judicial process and questioned why INEC was still relying on communications from persons he described as no longer recognised members of the party.
He stated that if the commission disagreed with any court ruling, the proper step would be to challenge it through the appeal process rather than ignore it.
The faction disclosed that it had taken its complaints beyond local institutions by reaching out to civil society groups, foreign diplomatic missions and international organisations involved in supporting democratic governance.
According to Major, the aim is to draw attention to what the group sees as a disregard for judicial decisions.
While insisting that the faction remains committed to pursuing legal options, Major warned that party members across the country could be mobilised for peaceful protests if INEC continues to disregard court judgments related to the dispute.
On the 2027 general election, he dismissed reports suggesting that the party had already settled on a presidential candidate.
He described previous discussions on the matter as preliminary and said no final decision had been made.
Major also denied claims that the NNPP was involved in any political coalition ahead of the next election cycle.
He stated that the party intends to strengthen its own platform and pursue its political goals independently.
The faction appealed to Nigerians and members of the international community to closely follow developments surrounding the dispute, insisting that adherence to court rulings remains vital to the protection of democracy and the rule of law in the country.
