We’ll Decide Today Whether To Give Okorocha, Others Certificates Of Return -INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it
will meet today, regarding judgments and orders issued or served on
it from various Courts of Law on issuance of Certificates of
Return.

Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman,
Information and Voter Education Committee, disclosed this in an
interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Okoye stated this while reacting to enquiry on the commission’s
decision on a court order, directing it to issue Certificates of
Return to a senator and five House of Representatives members under
the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Bauchi
State.

He said the commission was yet to take any decision regarding
the judgement as its national commissioners supervising state level
review on the 2019 general elections just returned to Abuja.

“The commission will meet tomorrow (Tuesday) regarding judgments
and orders served on it from various courts of law. The Commission
has not taken any decision relating to the matter you alluded to.
The commission may deal with all such issues and other pending ones
tomorrow.

“National commissioners supervising State Level Review of the
2019 Elections returned to Abuja on Monday to clear all pending
judgments and orders before heading back to their states of
supervision,” Okoye said.

An FCT High Court on May 16 had ordered INEC to issue
certificates of return to one senator and five House of
Representatives members elected under the platform the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State, who came second in the
affected elections.

The court on Friday refused to grant an application for Stay of
Execution of its judgement, which nullified the election of the
affected senatorial district and five Federal Constituencies under
the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi
state.

The FCT High Court, presided over by Justice Bello Kawu,
rejected the application by the APC on stay of execution and
ordered INEC to issue the PDP candidates with certificates of
return.

The court had declared as null and void, the publication of the
names of APC candidates as winners of the National Assembly
election in the affected constituencies.

The affected PDP lawmakers-elect yet to be issued certificates
include: Garba Dahiru, who replaced Lawal Yahaya Gumau as Bauchi
south senator-elect, Jatau Mohammed Auwal replaces Omar Tata.

Abdulkadir, Mohammed Ibrahim replaced Muhammed Musa Pali and
Aminu Aliyu Guru replaced Mohammed Sabo.

Others are Ahmad Gololo, who replaced Garba Gololo Mohammed and
Hassan Galadima replaced Manu Mansur.

The commission was also expected to obey the court directive on
the issuance of Certificate of Return for Imo West Senatorial
District election.

A Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang
had on May 23 ordered INEC to issue certificate of return to former
Governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha, as the Senator-elect for Imo West
Senatorial District

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