The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the December 5 Imo North senatorial by-election on Saturday.
While declaring the result today, the returning officer in the senatorial by-election, Mr Hakeem Adikum, said the APC polled a total of 36, 811 votes, with PDP trailing behind in a second position with 31,903 votes.
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However, the INEC did not return a candidate from the APC as a political party. Mr Adikum in his pronouncement declared that APC won in five out of six Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the senatorial district with the PDP coming second having won the valid number of votes only in Obowo LGA.
According to the INEC returning officer, Adikum the LGAs triumphantly won by the APC are as follows; Okigwe, Onuimo, Isiala Mbano, Ehime Mbano, and Ihitte Uboma LGAs.
He said; “I hereby return the All Progressive Congress as the winner of the by-election held in Imo North on Saturday, Dec. 5.”
Speaking further on the subject matter, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo state, Prof. Francis Ezeonu ruled that the commission was unable to return a candidate from the APC as winner based on existing dynamics.
Predicating on his pronouncement on multiple court cases and conflicting court judgements, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner said on the basis of “several Court orders” for and against the two major contenders, Frank Ibezim and Ifeanyi Araraume, it is inappropriate at this material time to declare either of them the winner of the election.
He said that two Court judgments had emerged on Friday, a few hours to the Senatorial by-election. While the first of the judgment came from the Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, the second was obtained from the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In the meantime, it would be recalled that the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri had brought in a twist in the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja which had nullified the candidacy of Chief Ibezim and declared him the APC candidate while ousting Senator Araraume as APC candidate, a few hours to the by- election.
It would be recalled that the Federal High Court in Abuja in declaring Senator Ararume as the candidate of the APC noted that Chief Ibezim presented fake certificates to the APC and INEC respectively during his clearance and primary phases.
But a fresh twist emerged again to counter that Abuja judgement as the Court of Appeal Sitting in Owerri again restored the candidacy of Chief Ibezim as the APC authenticate candidate for Saturday’s Okigwe North Senatorial By-Election.
Recall that in an unanimous judgement, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal maintained that Chief Ibezim’s Appeal was valid and accordingly upheld it while at the same time quashing the Judgment of the Federal High Court earlier delivered on the 6th November, 2020 in favour of Senator Ararume.
Some legal analysts say with this latest development, INEC ought to have restored the candidacy of Chief Frank Ibezim as the validly nominated APC candidate for the Okigwe North Senatorial by-election.
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