The Labour Party, LP, senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South zone, Mr. Linus Okorie, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to investigate the alleged BVAS report forgery by former governor, David Umahi.
Okorie, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abakaliki said: “Now, let it be abundantly clear that the call for investigation of the allegation of BVAS Report and Compliance Certificate forgery against INEC officials and ex-Gov Umahi is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from the CASE IN THE TRIBUNAL between the both of us, amongst others.
“It is based on a petition on a CRIMINAL ALLEGATION that the IGP and INEC are being called upon to INVESTIGATE AND DETERMINE.
“And the greater question is not the case of Ebonyi South alleged forgery, it is the fear that a lot more forged INEC documents may be circulating across the country and possibly, even around the Presidential Election Tribunal.”
Similarly, Civil Society Organisations and human rights groups have called for the arrest and prosecution of the immediate past governor and Senator representing Ebonyi South Zone, Umahi.
The CSOs lamented that the conflicting Certified True Copies of electoral documents, especially BVAS reports, issued by INEC, signalled danger on the nation’s democracy and the rule of law, urging relevant agencies to investigate the matter and bring culprits to justice.
The CSOs, in a statement signed by the Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, on behalf of others, said Umahi had been accused of presenting a forged CTC of the BVAS Accreditation Report and Compliance Certificate to the Tribunal in defense of cases challenging his election.
They expressed concern that there may be a cartel operating within the INEC headquarters and conniving with desperate politicians to churn out fake/forged documents of the Commission, with the intent to pervert justice at the ongoing election tribunals across the country.
The CSOs includes: Accountability Lab, Nigeria; African Centre for Media and Information Literacy; Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress; BudgIT Foundation; Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre; Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa.
Others are: HEDA Resource Centre; State of the Union; Tax Justice and Governance Platform; Transition Monitoring Group; Women in Media Communication Initiative; Zero Corruption Coalition; Alliance for Credible Elections; Centre for Democracy and Development; Partners on Electoral Reform, among others.
In a swift reaction, Umahi, who spoke through the former commissioner for information and state orientation, Uchenna Orji, called on the general public to disregard the said INEC BVAS report forgery by Umahi.
According to him: “They have taken their village wild life to the court and this is unacceptable and must be condemned.
“No group in any part of Nigeria indulges in this outlandish behaviour of publishing falsehood except them.
“They are coming with different strategies, including falsehood and brainwashing. We must resist their antics.”
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