Protests Greet INEC’s Refusal To Issue Certificate Of Return To APC Senator-elect

Imo North Senator-elect, Benjamin Uwajumogu, on Monday, stormed the Abuja headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with his supporters to demand his certificate of return being withheld by the commission.

INEC has been withholding Uwajumogu’s certificate after previously announcing that it was investigating alleged misconduct in the election that led to the senator-elect’s victory.

Uwajumogu, who contested the Imo North senatorial election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stormed the electoral body’s headquarters with some placard carrying supporters.

Some of the placards read: “Mahmood INEC is a threat to democracy” “Mahmood INEC stop your hate against Ndigbo” and “Mahmood give us our certificate” amongst others.

Meanwhile, INEC had previously said it was suspending the issuance of Uwajumogu’s certificate of return pending outcome of investigation by its committee on the matter.

The Senator-elect, however, took INEC to court and secured a judgement against the electoral body.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had on July 5 ordered INEC issue a certificate of return to Uwajumogu.

But the commission’s refusal to comply with order since July 5 prompted the Senator-elect and his supporters to storm the electoral body’s head office to demand for his certificate.

Uwajumogu, while addressing reporters, accused INEC of “using the excuse of the committee to deny” him the certificate.

“Some of them that have been given certificates did not have to go through any committee before they were given,” he said.

“Why is my own going through this process? Why is INEC using the excuse of the committee to deny us our certificate of return when a court has given an order?

“We are asking INEC to produce that certificate of return and they must produce it and we asking them to produce it to forestall a break down of law and order,” he said.