Constituents of Imo North Senatorial District have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a certificate of return to Sen. Benjamin Uwajumogu within 24 hours.
Mr Mathew Omegara, the Director-General of Benjamin Uwajumogu Campaign Organisation, said that the issuance of the certificate was long due since Uwajumogu was declared winner of March 9 National Assembly elections in the constituency.
He made the demand on Monday when he led a group of the constituents in the district on a protest to INEC office in Abuja.
“Uwajumogu was declared winner of the National Assembly elections and duly returned by the designated INEC Returning Officer,’’ he noted.
He observed further that INEC rather issued a public notice on April 4 that it had appointed a committee to review the process of the election.
“Following that development, Uwajumogu went to court and the Federal High Court gave judgment, asking INEC to release his certificate.
“It is almost three weeks since the court ordered the commission to issue Uwajumogu with his certificate and nothing has been done.
“On behalf of the concerned citizens of Imo North Senatoral District, we the leaders of the Benjamin Uwajumogu Campaign Organisation, wish to demand for the issuance of the certificate without further delay.
“We have, nonetheless, prevailed on the stakeholders in Imo North Senatorial District to remain law abiding while the law takes its due course,’’ he said.
He also said that there was no need for INEC to withhold the certificate of return, alleging that other people that had similar cases did not go through the process Uwajumogu went through.