Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed an application filed by former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, seeking to be joined in a suit that could compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to investigate and prosecute her for alleged forgery of election results from the 2023 National Assembly election. Justice M.G. Umar, in a ruling delivered on Monday, April 27, 2026, held that Onyejeocha’s application lacked merit and was unnecessary for the resolution of the substantive dispute, which, according to the court, lies strictly between the lawmaker who filed the suit and INEC.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CV/1308/2025, was filed by Representative Amobi Ogah, who represents the Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State. Ogah is seeking an order of mandamus to compel INEC to conclude its investigation and prosecute Onyejeocha over allegations that she forged election results and presented them as authentic documents during the election petition tribunal proceedings that followed the 2023 general election. The dispute traces back to the February 2023 election, when INEC declared Ogah of the Labour Party the winner with 11,769 votes, while Onyejeocha of the All Progressives Congress polled 8,752 votes. Onyejeocha challenged the outcome, but the tribunal dismissed her petition, and the Court of Appeal affirmed Ogah’s victory in November 2023.
In her joinder application, Onyejeocha, through her counsel Legal Assent, argued that the matter touched directly on her electoral contest and related allegations, and that her participation was necessary to ensure that justice was done. However, Ogah’s legal team, led by Umeh Kalu, SAN, of Seasons Law Firm, opposed the application, arguing that the case could be effectively and effectually determined between Ogah and INEC without Onyejeocha being made a party. Justice Umar agreed with the respondent’s submission, ruling that the substantive dispute was between the lawmaker and the electoral umpire, and that Onyejeocha’s presence was not required for the court to reach a decision. The court noted that the allegations of forgery had already been aired extensively during earlier proceedings at the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal, both of which ruled in Ogah’s favour.
The dismissal of the joinder application marks the latest procedural victory for Ogah, who has consistently maintained that INEC should investigate and prosecute the former minister for what he calls a “brazen act of document falsification”. In his petition to INEC dated April 14, 2024, Ogah alleged that Onyejeocha procured and presented a different set of polling unit results for 63 polling units, results he claimed were entirely different from the authentic results issued by INEC. During the tribunal proceedings, INEC reportedly disowned the result submitted by Onyejeocha, insisting that it did not originate from the commission, while affirming the authenticity of the result relied upon by Ogah. In September 2025, the same court granted Ogah leave to apply for a mandamus order compelling INEC to investigate and prosecute Onyejeocha, a decision that was not appealed.
Reacting to the ruling, Umeh Kalu, SAN, described the court’s decision as consistent with the law and the facts presented. He argued that Onyejeocha had no business joining the proceedings and that the matter could be effectively determined between his client and INEC. On his part, Onyejeocha’s counsel, John Agim, SAN, said the legal team would review the ruling and decide on the next line of action, indicating that an appeal may be possible. The court did not award costs against the former minister.
The case has generated significant interest, as it is one of the few instances where a former minister is facing potential criminal prosecution over alleged electoral fraud after the conclusion of election petition litigation. Ogah has insisted that the matter is not about the electoral outcome, which has been settled, but about the integrity of the judicial process itself. “On 27th March, 2025, the court of appeal affirmed my election and set aside the judgment of the tribunal that sacked me. That is settled,” Ogah said in a previous interview. “What is before the court now is a separate cause of action: the forgery of election results by Onyejeocha. The court should allow the rule of law to take its course.” He urged INEC to act without further delay.
The ruling also has political implications, as Onyejeocha, a four-term former member of the House of Representatives who served as minister until she resigned in April to seek the APC ticket for the Isikwuato/Umunneochi seat in 2027, is a major political figure in Abia State. Ogah, on the other hand, has become a vocal advocate for electoral accountability, and the court’s decision is likely to bolster his standing among constituents who have grown weary of protracted litigation.
The case now proceeds to the substantive hearing of the mandamus application. If granted, INEC will be compelled to conclude its investigation and make a determination on whether to prosecute Onyejeocha. The commission has not publicly commented on the status of its investigation, but its disavowal of the disputed result suggests that there is a prima facie case to answer. As the legal battle continues, the focus will shift to whether the electoral body will finally act on the allegations that have dogged the former minister for nearly three years.
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