…Orders State’s bank accounts frozen
Senator Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has received the Certificate of Return from the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) as the governor-elect of Imo State.
He was given the
certificate on Wednesday, barely 24 hours after the Supreme Court nullified the
election of Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of the State.
INEC had earlier said that it would not issue a Certificate of Return to Senator
Hope Uzodinma until it is served with the enrolled order of the Supreme
Court Judgment.
According to the Commission, it is yet to be served with the enrolled order of the Supreme Court judgment and until that is done, it cannot issue Uzodinma the Certificate of Return.
The Chief Press Secretary to INEC National Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, had said in a statement, “the Commission is yet to be served with the enrolled order of the Supreme Court Judgment, therefore we cannot issue the Certificate of Return to the APC candidate yet. However, once the Commission receives the enrolled order, the CoR will be issued”.
He, however, observed that the non-issuance of the CoR cannot derail the swearing-in ceremony of the Imo governor.
The Commission does not act based on newspaper publications, we’ve always obeyed Court judgments but until we are served with the Certified True Copy of the judgment we cannot release the CoR.
Meanwhile, the new governor has issued an order freezing all bank accounts belonging to the state government.
An ‘Order of Post No Debit’ issued by Director-General, Hope Uzodinma’s Campaign Organisation, Chief Cosmas Iwu, to all financial institutions and the Accountant-General of Imo State, warned that no bank is to honour any transaction from the government of Emeka Ihedioha or his officials.
The memo titled ‘Order of Post No Debit on all accounts of Imo State Government Effective Immediately 14th January 2020’, reads:
“Following the Supreme Court judgment of 14th January 2020, I am directed by His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma to take this to your authority/instruction to place a Post No Debit (PND) order on all accounts of the Imo State Government maintained in your various institutions.
“You are by this letter, directed to comply and await further instructions from the office of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Imo State.”