Court Grants Approval to Prosecute Minister Onyejeocha Over Alleged Forgery

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted leave to Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, representing Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prosecute the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, for alleged forgery of election results.

Justice M.G. Umar, in a ruling delivered on September 23, 2025, on an ex parte motion filed by Ogah, held that the lawmaker had presented sufficient material evidence in his affidavit to justify the court’s decision.

Onyejeocha, who contested under the All Progressives Congress (APC), had earlier taken Ogah of the Labour Party (LP) to the Election Petition Tribunal, claiming victory in the 2023 general elections.

Ogah, however, alleged that Onyejeocha submitted forged results to the tribunal to back her claims—a case she eventually lost.

In response, Onyejeocha, through her media aide, denied the allegations in April, describing them as false and already resolved. “All the allegations in the petition are false and have long been settled,” she stated.

Despite her denial, Ogah approached the Federal High Court seeking leave to apply for an Order of Mandamus compelling INEC to investigate and prosecute the minister for forgery.

He claimed that after being declared winner by INEC, Onyejeocha “forged results from certain polling units” and presented them as genuine documents—identified as Exhibit 3—before the tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

In his ruling, Justice Umar stated that the application had merit and that the court must exercise its discretion “judicially and judiciously.”

“I am satisfied that the applicant has provided relevant materials in support of his case. Therefore, this Court exercises its discretion in his favour,” he ruled.

The judge consequently granted leave for Ogah to apply for an Order of Mandamus compelling INEC to investigate and prosecute Nkeiruka Onyejeocha for allegedly forging election results in polling units within the Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State.