A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, member representing Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, permission to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prosecute the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, over alleged forgery of election results.
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| Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha |
Delivering the ruling on September 23, 2025, Justice M.G. Umar held that Ogah had provided sufficient material evidence in his affidavit to justify the court’s intervention.
Background of the Case
Onyejeocha, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had earlier dragged Ogah of the Labour Party (LP) before the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, claiming she was the rightful winner of the 2023 general elections.
However, Ogah alleged that the minister tendered forged election results during the tribunal proceedings in a bid to back her claims — a case she eventually lost.
In April, Onyejeocha, through a media aide, denied all allegations, describing them as “false and already resolved.”
“All the allegations in the petition are false. They are not only false, but they have been trashed out long ago,” she said.
Unsatisfied, Ogah filed a new motion at the Federal High Court, seeking an Order of Mandamus compelling INEC to investigate and prosecute Onyejeocha for alleged forgery.
Ogah’s Allegations
In his affidavit, Ogah accused Onyejeocha of forging election documents tendered as Exhibit 3 during the tribunal proceedings.
“Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha forged the results of several polling units and passed them off as official documents of INEC,” he claimed.
“She attempted to deceive the judiciary by presenting the forged documents before both the Election Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.”
The Court’s Decision
In his ruling, Justice Umar stated that the application had merit and that the court must exercise its discretion judicially and judiciously.
The judge ruled:
“I have considered Order 34 Rules 1, 3, and 4 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, and I am satisfied that the applicant (Ogah) has placed relevant materials before the court to warrant the exercise of discretion in his favour.”
Consequently, the court granted Ogah leave to apply for an Order of Mandamus compelling INEC to investigate and prosecute Onyejeocha for the alleged forgery of election results in polling units within the Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State.
What Happens Next
With this ruling, INEC is now under legal obligation to begin a formal investigation into the alleged forgery. If found culpable, Onyejeocha could face prosecution for electoral offences — a development that could have far-reaching political implications.
Neither Onyejeocha nor her representatives have issued an official response to the latest court order as of press time.