Counsel for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ndubuisi Ukpai, has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission to demand that the commission must stop all elections until its authentic logo is included in ballot papers for future elections.

This is contained in a letter to journalists by the party on Wednesday in Lagos.

The letter, dated August 25 and addressed to the INEC chairman, was titled “Re: Suit No: CV/3210/2025; New Nigeria Peoples Party VS Independent National Electoral Commission: Continued Representation of the Authentic Leadership of the NNPP and the Need To Maintain Status Quo Pending Determination of the Suit for Judicial Review.”.

It stated that INEC should refrain from conducting all elections until it reflected the true and correct logo of the NNPP and participation of the party under the leadership of Major Agbo as national chairman.

It stated, “We remain counsel to the authentic leadership of the NNPP, under the national chairmanship of Agbo, and write at their instance. You will recall our previous correspondence, wherein we drew the commission’s attention to the imperative of strict compliance with subsisting judgements of competent courts, affirming the authentic leadership of the NNPP. Regrettably, in the face of INEC’s continued reluctance to give effect to the said judgements, our client was constrained to institute judicial review proceedings against the commission.’’

According to the party, pursuant to the said action, on August 15, 2025, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory graciously granted our client leave to bring an application for an order of mandamus, compelling INEC’s compliance.

“Consequent upon this, an Originating Motion on Notice had been duly filed and served on the commission. May we respectfully remind the commission that upon the grant of leave in judicial review proceedings, the law imposes a duty to maintain the status quo and refrain from taking steps capable of rendering the substantive proceedings nugatory.

“As was held in Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu (1986) 1 NWLR (Pt. 18) 621, no party, and least of all a public institution, is permitted to take the law into its own hands or foist a fait accompli on the court. To do otherwise is to court judicial reproach and expose responsible officers to personal consequences for contempt of court,” the party said.

The NNPP also demanded that INEC must cease and desist from according any recognition whatsoever to the expelled members of the party, purporting to be leaders of the NNPP under one Ajuji Ahmed.

It also stated that INEC must stop actions that might prejudice or compromise pending proceedings, in line with the express duty imposed on all authorities under Section 287(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to enforce and give effect to decisions of the courts.

“It has further come to our client’s knowledge that the expelled members have issued a notice, purporting to convene a so-called National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday, August 28. We must make it abundantly clear that any such purported meeting is unlawful, null, and void, being in flagrant violation of binding judicial pronouncements.

“We, therefore, urge in the strongest terms that INEC must not attend, monitor, observe, or lend any form of recognition to such an illegal gathering. To do so would amount to clear interference in a matter sub judice and a direct affront to the authority of the court. This correspondence is issued to place the commission on the path of legality and to forestall the necessity of further legal recourse against it. We trust, therefore, that INEC will act with the institutional circumspection and fidelity to the rule of law that the Constitution demands,” it added. 

(NAN)