Senator-elect of Imo North, Benjamin Uwajumogu, yesterday, led some protesters to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, headquarters in Abuja over the non-issuance of a certificate of return to him.
INEC had set up a committee to look into allegations of misconduct in the senatorial election after Uwajumogu had been declared winner. The decision was challenged by Uwajumogu, who contested on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC.
However, INEC has condemned the protest at its headquarters by Benjamin and his supporters over a Federal High Court judgment.
Festus Okoye, a national commissioner with INEC and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, who stated this in Enugu yesterday, said INEC will not be stampeded into issuing a certificate of return to Uwajumogu.
On July 5, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered INEC to issue Uwajumogu a certificate of return.
While speaking with journalists at INEC headquarters in Abuja yesterday, the senator-elect wondered why a committee was set up after he had been declared winner of the poll.
Uwajumogu accused INEC of “using the excuse of the committee to deny” him the certificate.
His words: “Some of them that have been given certificates did not have to go through any committee before they were given. Why is my own going through this process? Why is INEC using the excuse of the committee to deny us our certificate of return, when a court has given an order?
“We are asking INEC to produce that certificate of return to forestall a breakdown of law and order.”
In its reaction, INEC through Okoye, in Enugu yesterday, said: “We cannot rush to hand over the certificate of return to him; we must study the court judgment. As a commission, we must obey court order even if we are not satisfied.
“Recall that the commission was served with the judgment of the court order on Wednesday, July 16. The said judgment could not undergo the regular processes and procedures of the commission and must wait for its next meeting.
“The commission will not be stampeded into taking precipitate action or decision that may be detrimental to the electoral process and procedures.”
Okoye revealed that the Commission has withdrawn and re-issued 87 certificates of return.
