The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it had withdrawn 25 Certificates-of-Return (CoRs), issued to some candidates that were earlier declared winners of the 2019 general elections following court orders.
The Commission said out of the withdrawn certificates, 20 were taken back from candidates of the All Progressive Congress, APC, and re-issued to other members of the party, two were withdrawn from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members and given to other party members, while three were withdrawn from both the APC and PDP and subsequently issued to members of other political parties.
Mr. Festus Okoye, Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, disclosed this in Enugu at an event tagged, “Forum on Media Coverage of 2019 General Elections.”
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He said; “Before we left INEC National Headquarters on Friday; the Commission had withdrawn 25 certificates of return from the first owners and presented to their new owners, following court orders to that effect.”
He used the opportunity to express the Commission’s appreciation to journalists for their “openness and robust engagement with the Commission before, during and after the elections,” describing the media as critical stakeholders for the success of future elections.
President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mr. Chris Isiguzo, who also noted that the media enjoyed robust consultations with INEC before, during and after the elections, commended the Commission for a “creditable performance.”
