Certificate Of Return: Second Judge Hands Off Okorocha’s Case Against INEC

Another judge has withdrawn from the suit filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha.

Okorocha is seeking an order compelling the nation’s electoral umpire, INEC to issue him a certificate of return as the senator-elect for Imo West.

ORIENTAL TIMES recalls INEC had refused to issue a certificate of return to Okorocha as a duly elected senator in the 2019 elections as the returning officer for the Imo West senatorial election, Prof Francis Ibeawuchi disclosed that he declared results under duress.

In the events following the institution of a court case by Governor Okorocha, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, of the Federal High Court in Abuja, withdrew from the case, citing a petition that was written against him by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the disputed Imo West Senatorial election, Mr Jones Onyereri.

The case was thereafter reassigned to Justice Okon Abang also of the Federal High Court in Abuja who was said to have on April 11 fixed April 18 for hearing in the suit.

But Punch reports that on the date fixed for the hearing, Justice Abang also announced his decision to withdraw from the suit.

He anchored his decision on Okorocha’s letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, asking for the transfer of the case to another judge.

Okorocha had reportedly requested the transfer of the case to another judge because he claimed opponents in the case were jubilating that Justice Abang would dismiss the case.

It is understood that the judge, upon seeing the letter in the file, immediately informed all concerned parties of his withdrawal from the suit.