Yesterday at the International Conference Centre in Abuja the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, presented certificates of return to the 102 Senators and 338 House of Representative members that won the February 23 election, urging them to expedite action on a new electoral framework for a successful 2023 general elections.
However as reported in the Nigerian Pilot yesterday, the name of Rochas Okorocha the Imo state governor was missing from the list of those that were issued with certificate of return.
Okorocha was accused by the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the state of forcing him to announce the result under duress. Okorocha had accussed INEC of allowing itself to be used by parties who are afraid of his presidential ambition for 2023.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja shortly after the event, Okorocha accused some unnamed forces in the ruling party of trying to stop him, “I am sure I was conspicuously absent from the certificates issuance ceremony.
I was not there because INEC had removed my name from the list of senators having been declared the winner by the zonal returning officer. So, I am actually waiting to hear why INEC struck my name out. I think probably, INEC must be trying to do something special because I understand once results have been declared and returns made then you are bound to be issued a certificate of return but to have exempted me, I am in darkness as to what was the reason why I was not invited to collect my certificate of return. Maybe, INEC would want to organize a special programme for me to hand over this certificate of return to me because clearly, I won and it was a peaceful election, the best you can ever think of. “I am told from the grapevine that it was because of duress. In other words, somebody must have coerced the returning officer to do what he was not supposed to do but here again, I do not understand what that means because there was nothing of such.
How can you put somebody under duress to declare you the winner of an election that you have already won? And look, they are not saying that we did not win. They are not saying that the other man won. So, I do not understand why we should be the people forcing someone to do something wrong to claim victory. It is not true but I must let the world understand that this is a game that is being played. The Resident Electoral Commissioner REC in Imo state is playing a script and the script is so funny, it is so cruel and crude actually and they are executing it in a funny way. “I understand that people are beginning to fight a war of the future now when we are not even yet there and I am surprised that INEC is being used as an instrument for those who find it politically difficult to achieve what they want to do. The idea is that, do not give Rochas a certificate; you must slow him down until after they have elected the presiding officers, then you can let him come in, so that he does not become anything and make sure that his candidate for governor does not win and then make sure that he is crippled politically before 2023. That is what is happening and it is very childish. I do not see why somebody can be thinking that way and these are people that earned my respect and they are behaving in that manner. So, I will advise INEC to do the right thing, to release my certificate so that I can celebrate as others are celebrating”, he stated. Earlier, while performing the ceremony Thursday in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said, “as a matter of urgency, the commission will begin work on post 2019 elections review and road mark to 2023”, adding that while there is a lot of work to be done, there is very little time available. “As a process governed by law, the success of elections in Nigeria depends to a large extent on the electoral legal framework and most importantly in ensuring adherence to the law.
“I want to assure you that we will continue to work with the National Assembly to review and strengthen our electoral law. But, I want to appeal to the senators-elect to please start work early and conclude work on the electoral framework in good time well ahead of the 2023 general elections. “The tendency to delay electoral reforms particularly the review of electoral framework until it is too close to the elections leaves the commission with little time to develop processes including regulations and guidelines, make required consultations with stakeholders, embark on effective voter education including sensitization, train staff and organize deployment for the elections. “I am glad that among the senators-elect are senators that we have worked very closely with and some of them have taken initiatives or even sponsored private member bills to advance the cause of electoral reforms. We look forward to working very closely with you in the next Senate. However, all these are matters to be considered, I hope we will do so in earnest”, he charged.
Out of the 109 senators in the National Assembly, only 100 senators were presented with certificates as there are outstanding issues in some constituencies. Of the 100, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has 62, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has 37 while the Young Progressives Party YPP has one.
Members-elect of the House of Representatives were also later in the day presented with their certificates if return.
