Tunji Adedeji
Eight months after the All Progressives Congress, APC, won the Local Government election conducted by the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) in 27 LGA’s and 636 councillorship positions in 645 wards across the state, reports revealed that the elected LGA Chairmen, Councilors are yet to receive ISIEC Certificate of Return.
An investigation by Trumpeta revealed that no Certificate of Return has been issued by ISIEC since the conclusion of the said council election conducted on 25th August, 2018.
The controversy surrounding the non ceremonial Issuance of Certificate of Return authorizing they actually won election has continue to dominate topics of discuss in Imo state.
Even though the chairmen were quickly sworn in by Governor Rochas Okorocha on Monday, August 27 2018, 48 hours after the polls, there have been much concern about the way and manner ISIEC conducted a council election without any issuance of Certificate of Return to winners of the poll.
A cross section of the affected councillors who pleaded anonymity expressed dismay that eight months after the local government areas election in Imo state, the LGA chairman and Councilors are, yet to be issued with Certificate of Return.
Barrister Stanley Chukwu, one of those who reacted to the development cautioned ISEC on the consequences of non issuance of certificate of return without carefully considering the implication.
According to Barrister Stanley Chukwu Esq, Nigeria’s constitution was unambiguous about the provisions of the law relating to the procedure of engagements and disengagements chairmen and councillors.
The Chairman of the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC, Mr. Ethelbert Ibebuchi, while reacting to this development on telephone said it’s in his jurisdiction to tell if the elected chairmen and councilors have received their Certificate of Return or not.
The ISIEC Chairman said they elected chairmen and councilors have been issued with their Certificate of Return. Even though it took him a lot of time to disclosed that to our reporter.
Ibebuchi who could not disclose the venue and place where the ceremony took place further pointed out that the most important thing now is that they elected
Chairmen and Councilors have been elected by Imo people, urging Trumpeta not to border going into such report.
He said the electoral body showed that it has the capacity to conduct a free and fair election “without eyebrows being raised”.
Further investigation showed no venue or ceremony where the certificate of Return presentation was organized unlike that of INEC who few weeks after the conduct issued the Return Certificate to authenticate their declaration as winner.
