Tunde Bakare
Bewildered Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may be planning to organise a special event to issue him a certificate of return.
Okorocha who was reacting to the omission of his name from those that INEC issued certificates of return Insists he won the Imo West Senatorial election held on February 23, and wondered how INEC omitted his name from those it issued certificates of return.
There have been speculations that Okorocha was declared winner of the February 23, election under duress by the Returning Officer of the election.
Okorocha, while debunking the allegation, said some persons who are opposed to his election’s victory are working to rig him out.
“Those behind the plot, are however, not smart in executing the project to rig me and my son in-law who is the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) Uche Nwosu out,” he said.
Okorocha criticised INEC’s declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Emeka Ihedioha as Imo Governor-elect, saying he fell short of the criteria.
He alleged that Ihedioha did not have the needed spread of 25 per cent votes across the Local Government Areas of the state as required by law to emerge winner.
He stressed that the PDP candidate could,therefore not be declared winner of the poll.
“I am sure you are aware that I was conspicuously absent at the certificates issuance ceremony.
“I was not there because INEC has removed my name from the list of elected Senators, having been declared the winner by the zonal returning officer.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 that once results have been declared and returns made, then you are bound to be issued a certificate of return,”he said.
He added that he was however, in the dark as to why the commission exempted him from the ceremony and why he was not invited to collect his certificate of return.
“Maybe, INEC will want to organise a special programme for me to hand over the certificate of return to me, because clearly, I won and it was a peaceful election, the best you can ever think of,” he said.
He said the allegations in some quarters that he was declared winner under duress as claimed by the electoral commissioner could not be true.
“I do not understand what that means, because there was nothing of such. How can you put somebody on duress to declare you the winner of an election that you have already won?.
Okorocha was suspended from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on March 1 over alleged anti party activities by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).