A coalition of Civil Society Organisations has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Certificate of Return to Senator Ben Uwajimogu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who according to them, was duly elected by the people of Imo North senatorial district in the February 23 national assembly election.
The coalition led by Conscience Nigeria, Stand Up Nigeria and 10 other civil societies disclosed this on Monday in a statement signed by Barrister Johnson Omede and Prince Danielson Momoh.
The statement reads: “The various outcomes of the 2019 elections have revealed a dangerous trend in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has illegally expanded its reach and constituted itself as a threat to our democracy, appropriating the power of the judiciary unto itself. INEC is not a court of law.
“The case of Imo North Senatorial District, where Senator Ben Uwajimogu was returned elected as a Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria on March 9, 2019, in a supplementary election, but subsequently denied a certificate of return by the commission, has added to other acts of illegal and electoral meddlesomeness of INEC across the country.
“Unfortunately, while INEC is yet to issue the Senator-elect his certificate of return, other candidates and their political parties in the poll, have gone ahead to challenge his victory at the Tribunal, in what could qualify as a case of double electoral-jeopardy. Nobody should suffer this kind of electoral oppression in a democracy. It is unfair and unjust.
“As it can be seen today, INEC has elected not to operate by any known standard electoral procedures through which it could be appropriately measured for fairness. This is inimical to free, fair and credible elections and capable of truncating our democracy.
“Therefore, we are therefore calling on INEC not to usurp the function of the judiciary. The commission is an electoral umpire and no amount of committees it constitutes to review election outcomes that can replace the constitutionally settled role of our courts in electoral matters.
“We advise INEC to immediately issue certificate of return to Senator Ben Uwajimogu who was duly returned elected by the people of Imo North to represent them in the 9th Senate.
“INEC should immediately disband any committee set up illegally to review a mandate freely and democratically given to the Senator, and allow the Tribunal to adjudicate on the matter.
“INEC must also take genuine steps to restore public confidence by returning to its original mandate and constitutionally defined roles as an electoral umpire, only.”
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