Court orders INEC to issue certificate of return to Okorocha

An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has nullified the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to refuse to present former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, with a certificate of return as senator-elect.



The Court ruled that the decision to deprive Mr Okorocha of the certificate falls outside the provisions of the law and was therefore a “lawless decision.”

According to the court presided over by Justice Okon Abang, only the returning officer of the INEC had the constitutional authority to declare a winner.

Mr Abang said any person declared a winner by the returning officer remains a winner until petitioners succeed in upturning the declaration at the election tribunal.

The court further ruled that Mr Okorocha had no business being the originator of the petition at the election tribunal.