The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has maintained that it would not present certificates of return to candidates who its officials declared winners under duress insisting it would amount to rewarding bad conduct.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, who stated the commission’s position during a press conference held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja said besides the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, there were other candidates from Niger, Benue and Akwa Ibom states who were also denied certificates of return for being declared winners under duress.
He said, “The position of the commission has not changed. The position of the commission is that we will not issue certificate of return to Governor Rochas Okorocha in relation to the senatorial election.
“Since the matter is already in court, the best thing to do is not to prejudge the matter that is in court, but to allow the judicial processes to run through.
“If at the end of the day, the court gives an order that we should give him his certificate of return, of course, the commission will obey such a court order.
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“If on the other hand, the court takes a different position and makes other consequential orders in relation to the conduct of the elections in Imo West, we will also comply with whatever order the court gives.
“As of today, the matter is pending in court, the best thing to do is to wait for the outcome of the judicial process.”
On the case of River state, the INEC National Commissioner said resumption of collation and announcements of results for the governorship election would be done between April 2 and 5.
He explained that the commission had set up a fact-finding committee that visited River State which found out that while election could not hold in a few areas, it was successfully concluded in others with the declaration of winners in 21 state constituencies.
The committee also found out that collation was ongoing at the time of the suspension of the process.
Okoye announced that supplementary elections, where necessary, would now take place on April 13, while issuance of all outstanding certificates of return would be concluded on April 19.
He also said certificates of return to governors-elect would be presented by supervising national commissioners of the respective states between March 27 and March 29.
Okoye further said the date for presentation of certificates of return the state houses of assembly members-elect would be announced in later.
