Reps, candidates fight over certificate of return

Three candidates of Malumfashi/Kafur federal constituency of Katsina state are currently engaged in a battle over the issuance of certificate of return even as they accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of compromise that has created confusion on the matter.

While People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Hon Bature Umar Masari was contesting the declaration of one Abdul’aziz Labo of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) on grounds that he was not sponsored by any party during the election, the commission issued the certificate of return (COR) to one Babangida Ibrahim, a development that created confusion.

Briefing newsmen in Katsina, Bature Masari said: “INEC has shamelessly and despicably sourced for another person and issued him a certificate of return in a desperate attempt to deny me victory even though they know the issue is before the election petition tribunal.”

Masari  said the INEC ought to have declared him winner by the electoral act since the party with the highest vote did not sponsor a candidate while also accusing INEC of sourcing Abdul’aziz Labo from nowhere to declare him winner in order to cause confusion.

He said: “The action of the electoral body is a negation of the provisions of the Electoral Act which confers on tribunal the only authority to reverse INEC declaration even if wrongly made.” He called for the withdrawal of the certificate of return because, according to him, the person issued is completely alien and not recognized by either courts or INEC itself before or during the election.

But in a notice for preliminary objection, the first declarant, Abdul’aziz Labo, claimed to be the authentic candidate sponsored by CPC in the election and therefore entitled to be issued with the certificate of return.

In his earlier response to the issue, the Public Relation Officer of the INEC in Katsina, Mohammed Musa Sokoto denied the accusation of compromise levelled against the Commission by the complainants and said, the Commission acted in accordance with the court orders given to it.

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