Legal representatives of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt all electoral communications and engagements with individuals they described as “impostors” claiming leadership of the party.
The demand was contained in a formal letter sent to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and referenced by the party’s legal firm, Rex Firma LP, on Friday in Lagos.
In the correspondence titled “Forwarding of Subsisting Judgments and Court Orders on the Leadership of NNPP,” the lawyers insisted that only the judicially recognised leadership of the party should be granted access to electoral platforms and credentials.
They argued that INEC must comply strictly with existing court rulings that define the authentic leadership structure of the party.
According to the lawyers, any communication with rival factions would violate binding judicial decisions already served on the electoral body.
The NNPP legal team specifically demanded that INEC should not issue any nomination portal access codes, authentication keys, or candidate-upload permissions to individuals not recognised by the courts.
They stressed that such privileges should be reserved exclusively for the leadership under Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the party’s founder and Board of Trustees chairman.
The lawyers also asked INEC to immediately stop interacting with individuals they alleged were falsely representing the party, including factions linked to Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso and members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
The NNPP solicitors cited several judgments they claim validate the party’s recognised leadership, including rulings from:
- The Federal Capital Territory High Court (FCT High Court)
- The Court of Appeal, Owerri Division
- A judgment affirming decisions of a party convention held in Apapa, Lagos in February 2025
They maintained that these rulings legally bind INEC under Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The lawyers warned that failure to comply with the court rulings could undermine ongoing enforcement proceedings and electoral processes.
They insisted that INEC is constitutionally obligated to act only on valid judicial decisions unless overturned by a superior court.
The letter also alleged that some individuals previously associated with NNPP have since aligned with other political groups but continue to claim leadership positions within the party.
The NNPP legal representatives further urged INEC to circulate the court decisions to all departments handling party administration and candidate nomination processes.
They argued that doing so would prevent unauthorized access to electoral systems and ensure compliance with Nigerian electoral laws.
The party warned that any recognition of unauthorized persons would contradict existing court orders and disrupt the internal structure of NNPP.
The development highlights the ongoing NNPP leadership crisis, which has seen competing factions laying claim to control of the party’s structure ahead of future elections.
The dispute continues to generate legal battles involving key political figures and party stakeholders across Nigeria’s opposition landscape.
