Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue to him a certificate of return as the senator-elect for the Imo West Senatorial District.
In the suit filed on his behalf by his counsel, Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), Okorocha made INEC the sole defendant in the suit, but Justice Taiwo Taiwo, consented to the request of the lawyers to add the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election, Jones Onyeriri and that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Senator Osita Izunaso, as the 2nd and the 3rd defendants.
Mr. Izunaso was represented by his lawyer, Nwafor Orizu, while Onyeyiri was represented by Emeka Etiaba (SAN), and INEC by Mrs. Wendy Kuku.
Justice Taiwo ordered the defendants to file and exchange their processes within 10 days and the plaintiff counsel was given three days to respond to them.
recall that INEC had refused to issue him the certificate of return to Okorocha after the Returning Officer for the February 23 election, Prof Francis Ibeawuchi, said he had declared him as winner of the senatorial election under duress.
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