The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday said it will do the needful after studying the ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja which nullified its decision to withhold the certificate of return of former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha.
In a statement signed by its National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, INEC said given the latest court judgment, ”the commission would meet as soon to do the needful.”
According to Okoye, the commission is ”currently undertaking state-level reviews of the last general election, and that all INEC commissioners were ”heading to their states of supervision to coordinate activities relating to the said review.”
The statement read, ”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.”
It will be recalled that Okorocha contested and won the senatorial seat for Imo West district in the last 2019 general election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
INEC, however, refused to isue him with a certificate of return following the declaration by the presiding officer, Francis Ibeawuchi that he was forced to make the declaration.
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