Court Orders INEC To Probe, Prosecute Tinubu’s Minister Over Alleged Forgery Of Polling Unit Results
Court Orders INEC To Probe, Prosecute Tinubu’s Minister Over Alleged Forgery Of Polling Unit Results
The ruling, delivered by Justice M.G. Umar on September 23, 2025, followed an ex parte motion filed by Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, the Labour Party (LP) lawmaker representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives.
The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been hit by yet another integrity scandal as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate and prosecute the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha, over alleged forgery of election results from 62 polling units during the 2023 general elections.
The ruling, delivered by Justice M.G. Umar on September 23, 2025, followed an ex parte motion filed by Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, the Labour Party (LP) lawmaker representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives.
Ogah, who defeated Onyejeocha at the polls, had sought an Order of Mandamus compelling INEC to discharge its statutory duty by investigating and prosecuting the minister for alleged electoral forgery.
Onyejeocha, a four-term lawmaker and former Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, contested the 2023 election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). After losing to Ogah, she approached the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, claiming she had actually won the election.
But Ogah countered, accusing her of tendering forged election result sheets at the tribunal to support her claims, a criminal offence under Section 115 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
In the certified true copy of the ruling obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday, Justice Umar held that the applicant had presented “relevant and sufficient materials” to justify the court’s intervention.
“I am satisfied that the applicant (Ogah) has placed relevant materials in the affidavit in support of this application, and this court is thereby persuaded to exercise discretion in favour of the applicant,” Justice Umar ruled.
“An order is hereby made granting leave to the applicant to apply for an Order of Mandamus against the respondent, compelling the respondent (INEC) to investigate and prosecute Hon. Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha for the electoral offence of forging the election results of polling units within the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State.”
In his affidavit, Ogah alleged that after INEC declared him the winner, Onyejeocha “forged the results in respect of the polling units listed, which were tendered during the trial of the petition at the Election Tribunal to prove the allegations contained in her petition.”
He said the forged results, marked as Exhibit 3, were “not issued by INEC,” adding that the Commission itself “vehemently disputed their authenticity” when they were presented before the tribunal. Ogah accused the minister of attempting to deceive the judiciary by passing off falsified documents as genuine electoral materials.
Despite his formal petitions to INEC, contained in letters dated April 29 and May 28, 2025, the electoral body reportedly failed to act, prompting the lawmaker to seek redress in court.
Justice Umar, relying on Order 34 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, and citing precedents such as Ambassador Shehu Malami v. Ohikhuare and Udensi v. Odusote, ruled that a court may compel a public institution to perform a lawful duty when it has “failed, neglected or refused” to do so.
The legal dispute between the two politicians stretches back to the aftermath of the 2023 elections. While the tribunal initially nullified Ogah’s victory and declared Onyejeocha the winner, relying partly on the disputed results, the Court of Appeal later overturned the judgment, restoring Ogah’s mandate and questioning the credibility of the documents tendered by the minister.
The appellate court, according to certified court documents, commented extensively on the “authenticity and probative value” of the exhibits, describing them as inconsistent with INEC’s official records.
Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, resigned in October 2025 following allegations of certificate forgery, though he denied any wrongdoing and claimed political blackmail.
Nnaji was appointed by President Tinubu in August 2023. An exclusive report by Premium Times accused Nnaji of forging his university degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, confirmed that Nnaji never completed his degree, contradicting his ministerial credentials.
Nnaji stepped down in early October 2025 after President Tinubu allegedly directed his resignation to avoid further embarrassment to the administration.
In his resignation letter, Nnaji thanked the president and claimed he was a victim of political blackmail by opponents. He maintained his innocence and did not admit to any forgery.
