It would be very surprising if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, goes to court to appeal the verdict compelling it to issue me with a certificate of return, Senator Rochas Okorocha has declared.
The former Governor of Imo State who now represents Imo West Senatorial District at the Senate made the declaration on Thursday when he spoke with journalists after he was sworn in as a senator.
His statement was in reaction to the vow by INEC that it would challenge the court order which compelled it to issue the certificate of return to Okorocha despite its allegation of forcing the returning officer to declare him winner of election.
He insisted that INEC’s claim that he put the returning officer of the election which he participated in for the senatorial seat under duress could not be proved.
His words: “Duress means using mild or excessive force to compel someone to do something he or she does not want to do.
“How would you have done that in a returning hall where you have police, SSS and party agents? And in my own person walking with gun or machete asking them to write result on my behalf.
“That didn’t happen. I think there is more to duress than duress itself.”
It would be recalled that his return ticket was not released until a court ordered INEC to do so.
The reason given by INEC was that the returning officer declared Okorocha winner of the senatorial election because he was forced to do so.
Okorocha also spoke on the chances of an Igbo Presidency in 2023.
He said except the South East worked for it, it might not be very possible.
His words: “Power is not given, power is taken. The South-East cannot just fold their arms and expect power to be given to them just because you want power. Power does not go with sentiment some of the times, it’s on issues on ground…
“So you cannot be talking about Igbo presidency, it doesn’t exist. We may be talking about Nigeria’s president of Igbo extraction but that depends on what other geo-political zones think about the issue.
“For me, what is important is let power be given to somebody who has something upstairs who can put food on the table of common man irrespective of religion or where you come from.”
