Tunji Adedeji
Official activities at the National headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday was almost disrupted when the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, for Okigwe Zone in the 2019 general election led his supporters to stage a protest demanding the immediate release of his certificate of return being withheld by the Commission.
Armed with placard of various inscription, the embattled Senator Uwajumogu during the protests, alleged that he was declared senator-elect by the returning Officer for Imo North and had gone ahead to secure an order of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja directing the INEC to issue him with a certificate of return, but three weeks after the judgment, INEC was yet to comply with the judgment.
It will be recall that INEC had refused to give Uwajumogu who was former senator that represented Imo North district, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu Senator his certificate of return on the excuse that he was wrongly declared winner of the election, saying it has set up a committee to investigation.
Uwajumogu , however, expressed regret that he had to miss being inaugurated alongside his colleagues owing to the legal impediments .
The decision of INEC not to issue the certificate of return to Uwajumogu had generated controversy with some accusing the electoral body of bias.
It’s also worthy of note that Justice Taiwo Taiwo, who served a court order on the electoral body, delivered the judgment on three Fridays ago .
Uwajumogu had approached the court seeking for an order to compel INEC to issue him the certificate after the failure of the electoral body to declare him the winner of the senatorial election on an allegation that the electoral process was marred by irregularities.
According to the order, the court ruled that “ INEC does not have the power and right under any law in Nigeria to review or otherwise deal with any question related or connected to the declaration and return of the applicant for the Imo North Senatorial District election on the 23 rd of February and 9 th March 2019 after the returning officer had taken a decision. ”
The court, among others, also ruled “that an order of mandatory injunction is hereby made compelling INEC to immediately issue the applicant, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu , a sealed Certificate of Return for the Imo North Senatorial District .”
INEC had based its stance on the need to ensure fairness by investigating the alleged irregularities before issuing a Certificate of Return.
