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Legal practitioner, Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, has reacted to the face-off between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha.
The electoral body on Thursday presented, Certificate of Return to elected federal lawmakers but exempted Okorocha, alleging that the Returning Officer was made to declare him winner of the election “under duress”.
However, Okorocha, has insisted that INEC will give him his certificate.
Okorocha stated this while addressing a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.
“Maybe INEC wants to organise a special programme for me to hand over the certificate to me but clearly, I’ve won and it was a peaceful election,” he said.
In a statement on Friday, Adegboruwa said INEC has no legal basis to withhold the certificate of a person duly elected.
“Let’s quit party politics and do the right thing”, he noted.
“Hon. Ihedioha, being a Governor-elect, cannot in law be doling out directives to banks and giving marching orders against a sitting government.
“Hon Ihedioha should wait till he has been sworn in. As it is now, he can only monitor events from the sidelines till May 29.
“We cannot seek to humiliate a man just because of political differences. We must do the right thing.
“I urge INEC to present certificate to Governor Rochas Okorocha forthwith. The only other option now is for those who are aggrieved with his election to go to the Election Petitions Tribunal.
“INEC has no power in law to determine the fate of a candidate already declared winner of an election. That will be tantamount to usurping the will of the people.”