The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said despite Tuesday’s ruling of the Supreme Court, it can not issue Certificate of Return to Hope Uzodinma, the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected Governor of Imo State.
The Supreme Court had upturned the election of Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State, and ordered that Hope Uzodinma candidate of the All Progressive Party (APC) be immediately sworn in as the duly elected governor of the State.
In a judgment delivered by the lead Judge, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the Apex court agreed that results in 388 polling units were unlawfully excluded during the collation of the final governorship election result in Imo.
Kekere-Ekun said with the addition of the result from the 388 polling units, the APC governorship candidate polled majority lawful vote and ought to have been declared winner of the election by INEC.
The Supreme Court ordered that the Certificate of Return wrongly issued to lhedioha be immediately withdrawn by INEC and a fresh one issued to Uzodinma as the elected governor of the South/East State.
But INEC said it is not going to issue him a Certificate of Return until it gets an enrolled order from the Supreme Court.
According to Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Secretary to the INEC Chairman, however stated that the Commission would issue the Uzodinma as soon as it received the enrolled order.
“The Commission is yet to be served with the enrolled order of the Supreme Court judgement, therefore, we cannot issue the Certificate of Return to the APC candidate yet. However, once the Commission receives the enrolled order, the CoR will be issued”, Oyekanmi emphasized.
James Kwen, Abuja
