The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday presented Certificates of Return (CoR) to the 24 House of Assembly members-elect in the March 9 governorship and state assembly elections in Ebonyi.
Prof Godswill Obioma, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ebonyi, presented the certificates to the members-elect in Abakaliki.
Obioma commended the electorate for the peaceful and orderly manner they conducted themselves during the election.
He said that the election in Ebonyi had been adjudged one of the freest, fairest and most credible across the federation.
The resident electoral commissioner explained that election was a very critical aspect of democracy that enabled the citizens to participate in choosing their leaders.
He expressed gratitude to God for the peaceful conduct of the polls, noting that no lives were lost during the Feb 23 presidential and March 9 governorship elections respectively in the state.
“If you listen to news and reports from some states, you will hear of killings, burning of houses and other forms of electoral violence.
“In Ebonyi, we are grateful to God that such didn’t happen and to the electorate for ensuring that the elections were peaceful and very credible.
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“We are also grateful to God that all of you who are successful at the election are alive to receive your certificates which have qualified you to have fulfilled the requirements as stipulated by law,” Obioma said.
He explained that CoR was an essential aspect of the electioneering process, stressing that only those who were issued with the certificates by INEC could legitimately claim to have completed all the requirements.
Francis Nwifuru, the Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly and member-elect for Izzi West State Constituency, on behalf of others, commended INEC for the conduct of the election in Ebonyi.
Nwaifuru also commended the people for electing the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), assuring them that the members-elect would respect the constitution of Nigeria in the discharge of their legislative duties.
He assured the people of a harmonious working relationship between the legislature and the executive to ensure provision of dividends of democracy to the people.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the members-elect comprising 21 males and three females were of the PDP.
