The legal representatives of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restrict all electoral communications and privileges to the party leadership recognised by existing court judgments.
The request was contained in a letter addressed to the INEC Chairman and copied to the commission’s Director of Litigation. The correspondence, titled “Forwarding of Subsisting Judgments and Court Orders on the Leadership of NNPP,” was signed by the party’s solicitors, Rex Firma LP.
In the letter, the lawyers insisted that access to nomination portals, authentication credentials, candidate-upload platforms and other electoral privileges should not be granted to any faction or individuals not recognised by valid court rulings.
They maintained that such rights should remain with the leadership structure recognised by court decisions and supervised by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, founder of the party and Chairman of its Board of Trustees.
The solicitors further called on the electoral commission to discontinue official dealings with persons they described as unauthorised representatives of the party.
According to them, all electoral correspondence, nominations, sponsorship requests and related activities concerning the NNPP should be channelled exclusively through the party leadership affirmed by judgments of the Federal Capital Territory High Court and the Court of Appeal in Owerri.
They also urged INEC not to recognise or act on instructions originating from any individual or group outside the authority of the party’s recognised National Working Committee and Board of Trustees.
The legal team argued that, under Section 287 of the Constitution, public institutions and authorities are obligated to comply with decisions of courts of competent jurisdiction unless such decisions are overturned on appeal.
The lawyers contended that the judgments remain valid and enforceable, and therefore preclude recognition of any rival leadership structure within the party.
Among the judgments cited were rulings delivered by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in separate cases involving the party, as well as a Court of Appeal decision affirming the authority of the NNPP Board of Trustees and actions taken in accordance with the party’s constitution.
According to the solicitors, one of the judgments directed INEC to recognise the leadership that emerged from the party’s national convention held in Apapa, Lagos, in February 2025 and to update its records accordingly.
They said the court also restrained the commission from recognising or dealing with any other faction except where directed by a higher court.
The letter further expressed concern over individuals allegedly associated with other political activities who still claim authority within the NNPP.
The solicitors argued that granting electoral privileges or access to nomination platforms to such persons would amount to recognising a leadership structure contrary to existing court orders.
They maintained that any action inconsistent with the judicial decisions already communicated to the commission would conflict with subsisting rulings affirming the recognised leadership of the party.