The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has presented certificates of return to Ebonyi Governor-elect, Chief Francis Nwifuru and the Deputy Governor-elect, Mrs Patricia Obila.
Also presented were 17 House of Assembly members-elect out of the 24 state constituencies.
The presentation of the certificates was performed by the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, Chief Ken Ukeagu at INEC state headquarters, Abakaliki.
Nwifuru won the governership election on the platform of the All Progressive Congress, APC having polled 199,131 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Chief Ifeanyi Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second by scoring 80,191 votes, the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Bernard Odoh, came third with 52,189 votes.
Accepting the CoR, the governor- elect, Nwifuru pledged to run an all-inclusive and open-door administration.
He also promised that the rule of law and separation of power will be entrenched and encouraged in his administration.
He called on the candidates of the various political parties who participated in the governorship contest to eschew party differences and team up with him to build a better and greater Ebonyi.
“I thank my fellow candidates from other political parties who went on this journey with me and I call on them to join this ‘Divine Mandate’ and eschew all differences so that we can work together for the peace and development of Ebonyi people.
“The campaign was a race to serve our dear people of Ebonyi, Therefore, I invite all of them to join me in building Ebonyi that we all will be proud of,” Nwifuru said.
Earlier, in her remarks, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mrs Pauline Onyeka said that the presentation of the certificates of return was part of the electoral process guaranteed by the law.
“Presentation of certificate of return is an aspect of the electoral process guaranteed by law; a certificate of return issued by the INEC is evidence and authority that shows that one has been duly elected in an election conducted by the commission.
“Hence, it is one of the constitutional requirements in the electoral process.
“We shall, today, be presenting the certificate of return to the governor-elect and the deputy governor-elect as well as the members-elect of the House of Assembly,” Onyeka said.
According to her, the assembly comprises 24 state constituencies, adding, however, that only 17 members-elect would be presented with their certificates of return.
She said that the results of the remaining five constituencies were declared inconclusive, with two members-elect having minor issues.
Onyeka said that the commission had fixed April 15 for supplementary elections in the affected state constituencies.
She urged the winners to be magnanimous in victory and discharge the mandate given to them by the electorate in providing dividends of good governance.
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