The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said it will not join issues with Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), over the Supreme Court judgment on Bayelsa governorship election.
The court gave its ruling after it found irregularities in the credentials of Lyon’s deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo.
The court then ordered INEC to issue fresh certificates to Diri, who was later sworn in after emerging as the next candidate with the highest vote.
However, in a press conference on Friday afternoon, Oshiomhole rejected the result, and accused INEC of creating crisis in the system by issuing certificate of return to Diri.
The APC chairman added that INEC misinterpreted the court’s judgment, thereby creating illegality in the electoral process.
“INEC has assumed the position of the court by interpreting the judgment the way it has done, which it has no power to do so,” he said.
However, speaking in a chat with Daily Independent, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, stated that the electoral body only complied with the ruling of the topmost court in the country.
“It is not the Independent National Electoral Commission’s practice to join issues with politicians on any matter, especially on issues under its jurisdiction”.
“The Supreme Court on 13th February 2020 delivered a judgment in a pre-election suit on the Bayelsa State Governorship Election held on 16th November 2019”.
“INEC received the Certified True Copy of the judgment on 14th February, convened a meeting this morning to study the judgment and at the end of that meeting, took a decision to comply with it”.
“Therefore, as far as we are concerned, we have done what the Supreme Court ordered us to do and we couldn’t have done otherwise” he said.
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