The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will issue a certificate of return to Imo State Governor-elect, Hope Uzodinma, once it gets the certified true copy of the Supreme Court judgement.
The apex court on Tuesday removed Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo and declared Uzodinma winner, directing INEC to issue him a certificate of return.
A seven-man panel of the court in its decision held that Ihedioha did not win majority of votes cast at the March 9, 2019 governorship election.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the body would comply with the judgement once it is served with the enrolled copy of the judgment.
“We have no problem with issuing certificate of return, but we cannot issue the certificate until when we see very clearly a certified copy of the judgment of Supreme Court or an enrolled order of the judgment of the court directing us clearly and unequivocally on what to do,” he said.
“The moment we see it, issuing certificate is a mini venture, we will definitely comply. We have the constitutional responsibility to obey the judgment of Supreme Court.
“The commission has not be served with the copy of the enrolled judgement so that the commission will know clearly and unequivocally what the Supreme court directed us to do.
“The moment we are served with the court order we will issue the certificate immediately.”
In the judgment delivered by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the court held that the lower court erred in law when it rejected evidence tendered before them to the extent that votes from 388 polling units were not credited to APC and Uzodinma.
