Mr Chijioke Udeogu, Esq, legal representative of the main All Progressives Congress Gubernatorial Candidate in Abia state for 2023 general elections, has clarified issues surrounding the recent judgement of a magistrate court in Umuahia purporting the conviction of Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah.
This was coming barely a week ago the state leadership of the All Progressives Congress had vowed no amount of blackmail and evil machinations of disgruntled party chieftains can deter the genuine desire of the APC to win next year’s Abia gubernatorial election, describing its candidate in the state, Dr Uche Ogah, as the best thing to happen to the party.
AFRIPOST recalls that members of the allegation of forgery, disinformation allegedly peddled by members of a parallel state structure of the party loyal to an ex-Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu state, Mr Ikechi Emenike, a factional governorship candidate in the state.
The factional group reportedly claimed the forgery allegedly perpetrated by the ex-minister was prejudicial to them and their authentic governorship flag-bearer, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, and therefore amounted to an offence contrary to Section 465 of the Criminal Code as is applicable in Abia State.
Also recall before now that a federal high court presided by Justice Binta-Murtala Nyako in Abuja had sacked Emenike and affirmed the former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogah as the authentic All Progressives Congress gubernatorial candidate in Abia State for the election in 2023.
The court held that the indirect primary election, which produced Emenike, was in total disobedience to a letter forwarded by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it would adopt a direct mode of the primary election in the state.
The court also held that the direct primary election of 26th and 27th May 2022, which produced Ogah, was valid as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Abia State endorsed it.
Earlier, the lawyer, Mr Chijioke Udeogu in a statement issued to Journalists in Umuahia recently, clarified that the APC Governorship standard-bearer in Abia state, Uche Ogah was never convicted of forgery based o the mere allegation, informing the latter obtained a certorari from higher court from restraining the magistrate court from proceeding with the charge pending the determination of the substantive motion before the court.
He hinted that the order also ousted the magistrate court’s jurisdictions over the matter and disclosed there was no formal police investigative report indicting him and further added that there was no forensic analysis of the signature specimen.
“What then formed the proof of evidence used by the magistrate court to convict our client in his absence, “Udeogu queried.
Continuing, the legal counsel said, “our judiciary is a hallowed arm of government. Therefore, it would be inapposite for some judicial officers, for whatever reasons, in doing the bids of some desperate politicians, to descreate our temple of justice.
“We now have further instructions of our client to petition against Mrs Ngozi Nwangwa, Magistrate Grade 1 for this rascality and abuse of judicial power,”he submitted.
