The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday finally issued the Certificate of Return (CoR) to Senator Hope Uzodinma as the duly elected governor of Imo state at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
This is coming few hours after the commission said it was yet to receive the Supreme Court enrolled order to issue the CoR to Senator Uzodinma as the governor-elect of Imo state.
The nation’s apex court had on Tuesday declared Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election in the state after sacking Chief Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The court also ordered INEC to withdraw the CoR issued to Ihedioha, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and issued same to Uzodinma, a former Chairman Senate committee on Aviation.
The CoR was presented to the Uzodimma by the National Commissioner, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu in the presence of some INEC officials including two National Commissioners, Abubakar Nahuche and Dr. Mustafa Lecky.
The commission’s Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, had on Tuesday told Daily Trust that the issuance of the certificate would be done very soon.
Also, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had earlier explained the reason for the delay in the issuance of the CoR.
