* To appeal judgement
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally issued a Certificate of Return to the immediate past governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, as the Senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District.
This is in compliance with the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by the Hon. Justice Okon Abang, directing the commission to issue a Certificate of Return to Okorocha.
The commission, however, said it would appeal the judgement.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Festus Okoye, said this on Tuesday in a statement after the commission’s management meeting in Abuja.
The commission, however, expressed concern that the judgement may have set a bad precedent for desperate politicians who undermine and disrupt the electoral processes and use the judiciary to legitimize their actions.
According to him, INEC as at Tuesday had considered 14 memoranda involving judgements and orders in pre-election matters relating to the issuance of certificates and or withdrawal of certificates already issued in pre-election matters.
He said that among the memoranda considered is that of the judgement on the Imo West Senatorial District by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“The commission decided to comply with the court judgement by issuing a Certificate of Return to the Plaintiff, Rochas Anayo Ethelbert Okorocha in compliance with the judgement and orders of Hon. Justice O.E. Abang; but we will appeal against the said judgment.
“In arriving at this decision, the commission also took into consideration the orders issued by two High Courts in the Owerri Judicial Division in Suits No. HOW/ 596/2019 issued on the 23rd day of May 2019 and another dated the 11th June, 2019 issued in Suit No. HOW/663/2019 restraining the commission from issuing Certificate of Return in respect of the said senatorial district.
“It is noted that both are interim orders issued Ex-parte and not final orders of court. In obeying the judgement, the Commission is demonstrating once again its longstanding commitment of complying with all orders of court, including those with which it may have reservations,” Okoye said.
Daily Trust reports that the INEC Returning Officer for Imo West Senatorial District, Prof. Francis Innocent Ibeabuchi, who had earlier declared Okorocha winner of the election, later said he was held hostage and forced to declare the results at the Imo West election collation centre in Orlu.
He said he was “held up at the centre by supporters of Okorocha,” who insisted he must complete the announcement”.
“I have been held hostage here for days so I’m trying to ease off and take my life home back to my children and for the sake of that I am calling these results under duress,” Ibeabuchi had said before reading out the results.
This made the commission to withhold the certificate, thus preventing Okorocha from being sworn-in at the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly.
Okorocha had earlier went to the National Assembly hoping to be inaugurated, but was denied entry at the complex.
