FAYOSE: Panic As Police, DSS UNCOVER 9 Ekiti Lawmakers FORGED WAEC Certificate Results

As if the ongoing probe of over N2.1 billion shared between the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and former Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro is not enough, fresh trouble has befallen the governor as 9 of his loyalist State Assembly members were confirmed to have forged WAEC certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for elections.

Following thorough investigation, police sources have confirmed that arrangements have been concluded to prosecute the 9 lawmakers involved, New Telegraph reports this morning

The source considered Impeccable confided in our source that various security agencies have conducted investigation on several petitions against 17 members of the House of Assembly for forgery of their school certificates and other related crimes. 

The Department of State Services (DSS) has established a prima facie case against nine of the lawmakers, a source said

They would soon appear in court, the source added. “After a thorough investigation on the school certificates submitted by 17 members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, we discovered that nine of the lawmakers submitted forged school certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Forgery is a criminal offence.

“We have submitted our report to INEC and the police. I think the police are awaiting the recommendation of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to press criminal charges against the lawmakers. They will soon face prosecution,” the source said.

Another source confirmed to our source that INEC is already in possession of the report conducted on the forgery of the school certificates submitted for clearance by the lawmakers. 

Although the Peoples Democratic Party-dominated Ekiti Assembly had cried foul over the forgery case, pointing out that its members were being unnecessarily persecuted. The source said that the police are determined to go ahead with the prosecution in spite of the propaganda.

It was also gathered that some of the affected lawmakers have made efforts at replacing the controversial certificates, but met a brick wall in the unyielding INEC officials. It was further learnt that aside petitions written by opposition parties on the certificate forgery, some disgruntled PDP members, who were allegedly shortchanged in the party’s primaries, also wrote petitions against the lawmakers. The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) yesterday called on the affected lawmakers to submit themselves for prosecution.

CNPP, in a statement signed by the Ekiti State chairman, Mr. Tunji Ogunlola, said that the indicted lawmakers must pay for their sins. “On the issue of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, we ask the 17 members alleged to have falsified their certificates to submit themselves for prosecution. It is very unfortunate that their primary roles have been abandoned for Governor Ayodele Fayose’s defence,” Ogunsola said. Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the CNPP yesterday protested against the Fayose administration.

The protesters demanded the resignation of the governor over the N4.7 billion arms funds. Joined by other groups, the protesters massed upon the roads from Fajuyi Park in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, and walked the major streets, passing through Okesa, Ojumose, Okeyinmi down to Ijigbo junction where the leaders took turns to address the crowd. They also expressed confidence in the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, describing his anti-corruption war as the best for the country.

The protesters urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute whoever was fingered in the looting of the state’s treasury.

The group equally commended EFCC for freezing the two personal accounts of Governor Fayose in Zenith Bank Plc. through which he allegedly received N1.3 billion to prosecute the 2014 election. Fayose had challenged the legality of the EFCC’s move at the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti while the latter had ordered the agency to justify the freezing of the accounts.

On hand to forestall unsavoury possibilities were security operatives, including men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The APC Acting Chairman in the state, Mrs. Kemi Olaleye, expressed reservations about the appropriateness of immunity for Fayose, saying such was a cog in the wheel of prosecuting the governor for alleged mismanagement. Her words: “We are tired of immunity clause. Immunity has become impunity in Ekiti. We condemn Governor Fayose’s corrupt tendencies. Things must change.

The EFCC must do its job and ensure that looters of Ekiti are brought to justice.” CNPP, in a statement signed by its state chairman, Ogunlola, challenged Fayose to discard his immunity and dare the antigraft agency on his alleged involvement in N4.7 billion arms deal. The statement read in part: “We also plead with the Federal Government not to release bailout for payment of salary to Governor Fayose. The Federal Ministry of Finance should pay into workers’ accounts directly, because we have lost confidence in the government.

The previous N9.6 billion bailout should be probed. “We pass confidence vote in President Buhari for fighting corruption and for all his developmental programmes,” he said. But, Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Idowu Adelusi, urged the APC to wait till 2018 for the governor to complete his tenure. His words: “They should know that this is 2016 and not 2006.

Their agenda is about 2018 and their game plans are what we are now seeing using the EFCC to concoct lies and using the media to disparage Governor Fayose, but they can’t go far.

“For now, the APC and the mad dogs of President Muhammadu Buhari should not be too desperate for Fayose to defend himself against the myriad of allegations, but rather wait till 2018 for the governor to submit himself to EFCC as he did in 2007.”

The governor’s spokesman accused the APC-led administration of double standard. Adelusi said: “Till now, even the political EFCC has not alleged Fayose of stealing Ekiti money and if it is concocting one, we shall meet in the court at the appropriate time.

“It is only in Nigeria under APC-led government that Chief Jide Awe, an accused having murder case hanging on his neck, will be the person who coordinated the 102 petitions written against one person.

“The petition itself is laughable and it shows that the writers have no common sense. Jide Awe and other APC members murdered 12 people during the Fayemi administration and, notwithstanding warrant of arrest issued on these suspects by the court, the police have refused to arrest them because of order from above. “On the infamous 102 petitions, no professional policeman, except political policemen, would give such petitions a second look.

It is very shameful that these protesters have not asked their boss, Kayode Fayemi to account for the SUBEB’s N852 million funds he misappropriated or tell Ekiti people why within four years landed the state in valley of debts and what he did with the huge loans he took from the capital market and commercial banks.

“As far as we know, no amount of harassment or intimidation or character assassination will make members of Ekiti State House of Assembly to succumb to pressures to go against the governor. The legislators know that their governor has not done any wrong thing.”

New telegraph

Abia: A State With 2 Governors

Confusion has rented the air in Abia State as the situation in the state suggests there are currently two governors.

Following the Sack of Dr .Okezie Ikpeazu, over alleged tax evasion by Federal High Court in Abuja and ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately issue Dr Samson Uche Ogah with certificate of return, the INEC, on Thursday complied by issuing certificate of return to Ogah, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the new governor of Abia state despite appeal filed by Ikpeazu and another court order that barred new governor from being sworn in.

The Justice Okon Abang-led court had held that Ikpeazu submitted false tax information to his party, the PDP during the governorship primary in December 2014, and as such was not qualified to contest for the party’s primaries.

Justice Abang also ordered INEC to immediately issue a certificate of return to Ogah, while ordering Ikpeazu to immediately vacate the office of the governor.

Embattled Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has reacted to the issuance of Certificate of Return to Mr. Uche Ogah by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as governor of Abia State.

A statement he personally signed on Thursday said it was said that INEC carried out the issuance, “despite dependency of a notice of appeal and motion on stay of the orders made by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja”.

He added that, “Our laws are clear on this matter. No one may be issued with a certificate of return let alone be sworn in as governor, when there is a subsisting appeal and application for stay.

“I want to appeal to Abians to remain calm and law abiding in the face of this provocation, unless and until the appellant courts have conclusively resolve the appeal, the status remains, I am still the Governor of Abia State.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has explained why the first runner up in the 2014 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial primary election in Abia State, Uche Ogah was issued with Certificate of Return on Thursday.

An Abuja Federal High Court had on Monday annulled the election of Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu for alleged tax evasion and also ordered INEC to issue Ogah with Certificate of Return.

Explaining why Ogah was issued with the Certificate of Return, INEC’s National Commissioner, in charge of the South East, Amb. Lawrence Nwuruku said the commission only heeded to a Federal High Court order.

Nwuruku stated that he could go to jail if he acted otherwise, stressing that if the valid court order was later reversed, INEC would not hesitate to act accordingly.

He said, “The situation is that we are simply obeying the court order. The court said with immediate effect, without wasting time, we should issue him Certificate of Return and that is what we have done – to obey the court order. If the court tomorrow issues another order, we would obey the same. By the grace of God, I am the INEC Commissioner in charge of South East.

“If court says we should issue the same certificate to another person, I will do same. In this case, court ordered us to issue a Certificate of Return to the person who won the election and that is Uche Ogah.

“I was the person who gave the Certificate of Return to Gov. Ikpeazu as he was declared winner. Now, the court has said otherwise. One thing we know is that we are not above the law and we cannot disobey the laws of the land. After the court, another person we obey in our land is God and my conscience is my God. Another thing that guides us is the court and we must obey its order with immediate effect.”

Rivers Rerun: INEC Suspends All Results

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission has suspended all the election in all constituencies in the state.

In a statement late on Sunday, the commission said it ordered the suspension, pending the receipt of a comprehensive report from its field officials and monitors.

INEC had already cancelled election in eight local councils in the state because of violence.

Clarifying it’s latest order, INEC said “the suspension does not affect constituencies where the exercise has been completed and the results declared by the returning officers”.

No result so far has been declared officially in the rerun poll for state and national Assembly seats. But INEC said results are ready in one Federal Constituency and 11 state assembly seats.

Elaborating on the suspension, INEC’s Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said: “Rather unfortunately, some of these elections witnessed the disruption of the process, including the barricading of some of the INEC Local Government offices and Registration Area Centres (RACs) used for the distribution of Electoral materials which led to the late commencement of the exercise in some places and consequently, its smooth take off.

“Of more serious concern was the level of threats, violence and intimidation of election officials and voters by well-armed thugs and miscreants allegedly acting on behalf of some politicians, which marred the elections in some areas.

“There were reports of numerous attacks resulting in fatalities, kidnappings, ballot snatching, diversion of officials and materials, amongst others, which necessitated its suspension in eight Local Government Areas.

“Regrettably, such deviant behaviour has continued today. Several permanent and ad hoc staff engaged have been attacked, again resulting in fatalities, while some have been forcibly abducted and taken to presently unknown destinations”.

Mr Osaze-Uzzi, stressed that under such difficult circumstance, the Returning Officers were only able to collate and declare results in one Federal and nine State constituencies where the disruption and malpractices were not so widespread.

“Having reviewed the situation, the Commission is compelled to suspend all further action concerning the exercise in all the other constituencies in the State pending the receipt of a comprehensive report from its Field Officials and Monitors.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that the suspension does not affect the constituencies where the exercise has been completed and the results declared by the Returning Officers”.

INEC had earlier suspended election in eight local government areas of the state.

Addressing reporters earlier on Sunday the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, said that the cancelation was due to irregularities at the affected local government areas.

Election held in Etche and Asari-Toru Local Government Areas were the latest to be cancelled.

In a press statement, the INEC said: “Further to our earlier pronouncement on the suspension of the re-run in the six Local Government Areas of Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Tai and Eleme, following disturbances and violence that impeded the electoral process in those parts of the state, it has become necessary to suspend elections in Etche and Asari-Toru LGAs for the same reasons.

“Please note that the suspension of the re-run elections by INEC is necessitated by the need to forestall breakdown of law and order in the event of further aggravation of crisis.

“INEC needs to put all stakeholders on notice that we are still studying the situation in the other fifteen LGAs, where collations are currently going on”.