Okorocha decries exclusion from exercise, cries for justice
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has begun the presentation of Certificate of Return to winners of last Saturday National Assembly elections across the country.
At the presentation which held at the International Conference Centre in he heart of the FCT, INEC presented certificates of return to 102 winners of Senatorial seats, with seven remaining results which was declared inconclusive would have run-off election on March 23.
INEC’s chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yusuf has already addressed the gathering of senators-elect and house of assembly members-elect.
Meanwhile the last seems not to have been heard of the rumble being generated by INEC’s with holding of the certificate of return to the Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha.
On Monday, INEC gave an indication it may not present any certificate to Okorocha when the slot 43, which ought to have his name was blank and gave an ominous reason: result declared under duress against him.
But speaking with reporters as the event went underway at Abuja today, Okorocha decried his exclusion, saying going ahead and excluding him from a victory well deserved would further excercebate the tension in the state.
Okorocha, said his exclusion from those to receive certificate of return, based on fictitious allegation without hearing his own side of the story is unjust.
INEC had earlier released names of those to be given the certificate of return.
In the list of Senators-elect, there were 109 slots, however, Okorocha’s name was omitted following claims by the returning officer of Imo west senatorial district election Professor Innocent Ibeabuchi, that the results for the district and the declaration that followed were pronounced under duress.
Okorocha, however, said that the action by INEC was an insult to his person and a mockery of Nigeria’s fledgling democracy.
Addressing some youths at the government house in Owerri the Imo state capital, Okorocha alleged that he was aware that INEC had colluded with some of his political enemies to deny him his mandate.
The governor appealed to INEC to do the needful and uphold his mandate and present him his Certificate of Return.