- A Federal High Court ruled that INEC should issue Okorocha certificate of return as senator-elect
- The electoral body had refused to acknowledge Okorocha’s victory because the returning officer was reportedly made to announce the result under duress
- Reacting to the latest court ruling, INEC said it will soon meet to do the needful as it will continue to obey judgments of all courts of competent jurisdiction
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday, June 7, reacted to the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja which ruled that Rochas Okorocha be awarded his certificate of return as a senator-elect.
INEC had refused to acknowledge Okorocha’s victory in February because the returning officer was reportedly made to announce the result under duress.
Also, an Imo state high court upheld INEC’s decision not to issue Okorocha a certificate of return to acknowledge his victory as the senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District.
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But Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court ruled that INEC has no reason not to issue Okorocha certificate of return.
Following the court ruling, INEC, in a statement signed by the national commissioner for Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said "the commission would meet as soon to do the needful.”
Okoye said the commission is "currently undertaking state-level reviews of the last general election.”
He added that all INEC commissioners "heading to their states of supervision to coordinate activities relating to the said review.”
"The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by the Hon. Justice Okon Abang, directing the Commission to issue a Certificate of Return to Rochas Okorocha as the Senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District.
”The Commission is aware that the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court, Abuja is the latest and determined the rights of the parties about the subject matter of the Certificate of Return, in respect of the Imo West Senatorial Election.
”Given the import and directives of the said judgment, the Commission will meet as soon as practicable to do the needful. As a law-abiding institution, the Commission will continue to obey judgments of all courts of competent jurisdiction," Okoye said in the statement.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Okorocha said he had forgiven the INEC's returning officer, Professor Innocent Ibeabuchi, for playing a role in his political travails.
Okorocha also said he forgave every other person who took part in ordeal he faced during the 2019 general election.
The former governor, who was reacting to the judgement of Friday, June 7, that asked INEC to hand him the certificate of return for Imo West, called the judiciary ‘the Daniel that has always come to judgement’.
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2019 elections: Do you still trust INEC to conduct fair elections? - Nigerians speak| Legit TV
Source: Legit
