Court Cancels Nwosu’s Request, Okays Ihedioha To Be Issued Certificate Of Return

A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri today dismissed a suit seeking to stop Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from issuing a certificate of return to Imo governor elect Emeka Ihedioha.

The court also ruled that post-election matters belonged to the election tribunals.

Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance (AA) in the March 9 governorship election, had sought the court to get an order restraining the INEC from issuing a certificate of return to People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s Emeka Ihedioha.

Nwosu had argued that Ihedioha did not meet the required 25 percent of the votes in 18 out of the 27 LGs in Imo.

Striking the matter out, Justice Tijjani Ringim held that post-election matters are to be handled by the election tribunal.

Ringim said that “the quest for justice must be in line with the constitution. Post- election matters belong to election tribunal “.

INEC had on March 11 declared Ihedioha winner of the election.

Ihedioha had polled a total 273,404 votes to defeat Nwosu who came second with 190,364 votes.

Meanwhile, ORIENTAL TIMES reports that tides seems to be turning for PDP as the Election Tribunal in Abuja has declared Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, the winner of Osun re-run governorship election, held in September, 2018