Why we can’t give Hope Uzodinma Certificate of Return – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said it cannot issue a Certificate of Return to the new Governor of Imo state, Sen. Hope Uzodinma because it has not been served with the order of the Supreme Court to that effect.

The Commission in a terse statement by the Chief Press Secretary to its Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi however promised to do the needful once it received the enrolled order.

“Please be informed that 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”, INEC stated.

The Supreme Court had on Tuesday sacked Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as governor of the state, and consequently went to affirm the election of Uzodinma in his stead.

In the lead judgement read by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the apex court ruled that records before it proved that election results from 388 polling units during the election, were unlawfully excluded from the overall collated results that declared Ihedioha winner of the state governorship election.