Okorocha: INEC gives update on court orders

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will meet on Tuesday, regarding judgments and orders 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) on Monday 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.

FAZE NOTETV  reported on Friday that Federal High Court in Abuja ordered INEC to issue Certificate of Return to Okorocha as the duly elected Senator representing Orlu, Imo West Senatorial district.