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Certificate Of Return: Rochas Okorocha Heads To Court, Accuses INEC Of Setting Bad Precedent

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Breaking: EFCC Parades Okorocha To Court
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Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has stormed the Abuja division of the Federal High Court in pursuit of his certificate of return as senator-elect for Imo West senatorial district.

Naija News understands that Okorocha, in company with some of his aides had a closed-door meeting with the Deputy Registrar, Litigation, of the court. He left the premises of the court roughly one hour after.

The outgoing Governor, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Imo West senatorial zone election, had filed a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking an order of the court compelling the commission to issue him a Certificate of Return on the grounds that he was declared winner of the election by the Returning Officer.

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The Governor had also petitioned Justice Abdu Kafarati, the Chief Judge of the court, for the reassigning of the suit out of the court presided by Justice Okon Abang after the case was moved out of the initial court presided by Justice Taiwo Taiwo.

Jones Onyeriri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Osita Izunaso of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), had, in separate applications, requested Justice Taiwo to recuse himself from the matter because, according to APGA counsel, Orji Nwafor Orizu, he had “clearly prejudged the substantive issues that will be resolved in this matter and clearly showed he has taken sides with the plaintiff (Okorocha)”.

Before the suit was stalled, four other candidates and political parties in the election including — Nwachukwu Goodluck Clement of KOWA Party, Uche Onyeoma Ibe of Labour Party, Precious Nwadike of the United Progressive Party (UPP) and Izunaso of APGA — had objected to the suit being heard by the court.

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The parties accused Okorocha of holding the Returning Officer under duress to declare him winner, adding that the matter could only be handled at the Elections Petitions Tribunal.

Meanwhile, A coalition of South-East youth leaders has berated the Imo State All Progressives Congress Elders Forum for saying that Governor Rochas Okorocha’s certificate of return as a senator-elect should not be issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Naija News also learnt that the coalition in a statement by its President, Goodluck Ibem, and the Secretary, Kanice Igwe, stated that the position of Imo APC leaders was undemocratic and could not override the Nigerian Constitution and the electoral laws of Nigeria.

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