The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has issued the immediate past speaker of the Imo state House of Assembly and the senator elect of Imo North Senatorial district, Rt Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu with a certificate of return.
Issuing the certificate of return to the senator elect, Thursday, in Abuja, the INEC National commissioner in charge of the south East Geopolitical zone, Mr Lawrence Nwuruku asserted that the exercise was in compliance to the constitutional responsibility bestowed on the electoral umpire in the electoral act to issue a certificate of return to any candidate duly returned by the electoral body in an election.
Mr Nwuruku said that the commission as a law abiding institution was mandated to issue the ex Imo speaker with the certificate of return, thereby authenticating his recent electoral victory.
Addressing newsmen shortly after receiving his certificate of return, an elated Rt Hon Uwajumogu said that his declaration by INEC as a senator elect was a product of massive desire of the people of his Senatorial district who have longed yearned for pragmatic and responsive representation in the red chamber of the National Assembly, Abuja.
The senator elect who poured encomium on the electoral commission for conducting a credible election in Imo North Senatorial district recently , averred that only transparent elections where the masses are given the ample opportunities to choose their representatives would advance the political firmament of the country.
The chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, explained that he is going to the Senate with the best legislative curriculum vitae from the zone, which would immensely link his hitherto marginalized Senatorial district to the main stream of the Nigerian politics.
Rt Hon Uwajumogu entreated that as the only APC senator from the south East zone, he would leverage on that advantage and work assiduously towards propelling his zone and constituents to the National grid.
The senator elect who was accompanied on the journey by his political allies and admires, called on his political opponents during the election that he overwhelmingly won to close ranks and join him in his Ernest desire of building a better Imo North Senatorial district, where great opportunities will abound for the teeming but very resourceful youths of the zone.
INEC had Friday declared Rt Hon Uwajumogu as a senator elect, having pulled the highest number of votes in the court of Appeal, Owerri, ordered rerun election held in the six Local Government Areas that make up the senatorial district on July 23 and 28, respectively.
By CHIDIEBUBE OKEOMA
