Okorocha Visits Buhari, Hopeful Of Getting Certificate Of Return

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has said he is confident that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will issue a Certificate of Return to him as the Senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District.

Okorocha expressed this optimism while speaking with State House Correspondents after a private meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

It will be recalls that INEC had withheld Okorocha’s Certificate of Return for the Imo West Senatorial District as the state’s returning officer alleged he was made to declare the governor winner of the February 23 election under duress.

Okorocha has however, approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling INEC to issue him a certificate of return.

“As it stands today, I am just waiting patiently for the release of my certificate of return for an election that I duly won.

“And I am hoping that INEC will release my certificate as I have not contravened any section of the constitution, neither have I done anything wrong to warrant the withholding of my certificate.

“I pray and hope that INEC will do what is just and right.

“INEC conducted elections, results were declared by the returning officer and I won; only to hear one week later that somebody wrote a petition that he made that declaration under duress; the question is where?

“Was it in his private house or at the collation centre? If it was at the collation centre, members of the SSS were there, policemen were there, as well as international observers and INEC officials.

“So, who actually put him under duress? The man has not been able to say that; he has never made a statement about that. So I think INEC will want to do the right thing very soon.”