By Okey Maduforo Awka.
The National Rescue Movement (NRM) has dismissed the claims by former member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief Edozie Njoku and Mr Anselm Chinedu Nebeife that they are the National Chairman and Publicity Secretary of the party .
The party also described as total falsehood that there was a National Convention which elected them and also expelled the leadership of Alhaji Muhyideem Imam and Comerade Chuks Nwoga contending that the position of false
In a statement signed by the duo of Imam and Nwoga , it described the claims of Njoku and his supporters as untrue adding that there was no convention that was held on the 17th of January 2025 insisting that the only convention of the party was held on the 14th of April 2025 urging the duo to wait until 2030 for another National Convention.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the current National Publicity Secretary of NRM, as published on both the official website of the party and the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is Peter Omotaiwo Letsuwa. Consequently, Mr. Nebeife has neither the authority nor the constitutional powers to issue such a publication on behalf of the party. His claims should therefore be treated as baseless, misleading, and a desperate attempt at clout chasing by a common imposto”
“There was no National Convention of NRM held on that day, nor was there any event that resembled such a gathering”
“What took place was simply a thanksgiving and prayer meeting where members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who were affected by the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in November 2024, came together with a faction of NRM members to thank God for their successful acceptance into the fold of the National Rescue Movement”
“It must also be noted that the venue of the thanksgiving event was a religious centre, specifically the Dominican Retreat and Conference Centre, which operates as a convent where strict rules concerning silence and decorum are observed”
“In addition, the facility can accommodate no more than fifty (50) visitors at a time in order to maintain the sanctity and serenity of the centre”
Nwiga in the statement stared that ;
“There was no National Convention of NRM on the 17th of January, 2025 at DRACC or at any other location whatsoever. The event that took place at DRACC was strictly a thanksgiving gathering”
“No election of any kind was conducted on that day. Consequently, nobody was elected into any office or position within the party”
*No official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was present at the venue because it is not within the mandate of INEC to monitor thanksgiving services organised by political parties”
” Religious centres, being strictly apolitical institutions, do not permit large political gatherings such as National Conventions to take place within their facilities’
With regard to the purported expulsion of Alhaji Muhyideen Imam, Nasir Baba, and Chuks Nwoga, it must be clearly stated that neither Chief Edozie Njoku nor Anselm Chinedu Nebeife possesses such constitutional powers.
“They remain ordinary floor members of the party like every other member and therefore lack the authority to take disciplinary actions of such magnitude”
“For the record, the most recent National Convention of the party was conducted on the 14th of April, 2025”
“The convention was duly monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, and Prince Chinedu Obi emerged as the National Chairman of the party. The report of the said convention was subsequently gazetted and published on the INEC website”
“It therefore follows that Chief Edozie Njoku and Anselm Chinedu Nebeife should patiently wait until the year 2030 when the next National Convention of NRM is due if they intend to contest and possibly emerge as National Chairman and National Publicity Secretary respectively before assuming any authority to discipline or expel members of the party”
“Since they clearly lack such powers, it becomes unnecessary to even begin to question the procedures they allegedly followed before announcing the purported expulsion of the aforementioned members.
“Curiously, in paragraph 14 of their press release dated 5th March, 2026, they merely stated their intention to punish certain members”
“However, less than twenty-four hours later, on the 6th of March, 2026, they suddenly announced the expulsion of the said members”
“This hurried and contradictory action exposes the ignorance and emptiness of their claims’
“It is also important to place on record that only three individuals reportedly gathered in a small room around Ismaila Mamman Close, Katampe Extension, Abuja, to draft the said misleading publication. Contrary to their claims, there was no record of any such gathering at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja on the 5th of March, 2025”
“Furthermore, there is no organ of the party known as the “National Working Committee” in the Constitution of the National Rescue Movement. The constitution clearly recognises the National Management Committee as the relevant organ. Members of the public are therefore advised to take note of this fact and consult the party’s official website for further clarification”
“The Constitution of NRM further stipulates that a new member must remain in the party for a minimum period of twelve (12) months before becoming eligible to contest for any elective position within the party”
“Following the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered in November 2024 which affected a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), it is therefore impossible for Chief Edozie Njoku to legitimately claim the position of National Chairman of NRM barely three weeks after joining the party”
“Such claims are clearly designed to create confusion within the political space”
“With respect to the judgment of 5th March, 2025 upon which they rely, the ruling simply directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the National Convention of NRM and accept the outcome thereafter”
“The judgment did not confer the position of National Chairman on any individual because such matters are non-justiciable. No court of law in Nigeria has the jurisdiction to appoint or confer the position of National Chairman of a political
party on any individual”
“In compliance with the said judgment, NRM duly issued its statutory 21-day notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission, which was acknowledged. INEC thereafter monitored the National Convention held on the 14th of April, 2025, where Prince Chinedu Obi emerged as the National Chairman of NRM”
“His name was subsequently published on the INEC portal as the authentic National Chairman of the National Rescue Movement”
“Therefore, INEC is not in breach of any law, and the contempt charges being threatened against the Chairman of INEC appear to be a calculated attempt to harass and intimidate him into accepting an illegal process”
“The general public is therefore advised to disregard and discountenance any claim from anyone purporting to be the National Chairman of NRM other than Prince Chinedu Obi, and to kindly visit the INEC portal or the party’s official website for proper clarification”
