Huhuonline.com Vindicated as INEC Bars Sen. Igbeke from taking Office

Another chapter in the unfolding Anambra North Senatorial Zone saga involving renegade Senator Alphonsus Uba Igbeke was opened last Saturday, June 4, 2011, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) invalidated the certificate of return issued to the fugitive Senator, and ordered the National Assembly Clerk not to allow him take office.      

  'The Certificate of Return issued to Senator Alphonsus Uba Igbeke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was issued without regard to the Notice of Appeal filed and Motion for stay of Execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/476/2011-Senator Alphonsus Uba Igbeke V. INEC & Others,' noted a letter from INEC to the Clerk of the National Assembly.      

  The letter, dated June 4, 2011, and signed by INEC Secretary, Abdullahi A. Kaugama also invalidated the certificate of Return issued to Abdu Umar Yandoma of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the Katsina North Senatorial District, as well as the Certificate of Return issued to Barrister Bassey Dan Abia the elected PDP candidate for Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State. Both candidates are facing electoral suits in Federal High Court.      

  INEC's decision was undoubtedly the result of the crusading campaign for justice waged by Huhuonline.com whose extensive reporting on the issue convinced INEC officials that a credible case has been made against Sen. Igbeke taking office, pending the outcome of the case filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja .      

  Huhuonline.com had published overwhelming evidence proving that Sen. Igbeke; a third-term federal lawmaker who has never won an election but has consistently been granted victory by the courts, forged the documents of the PDP Anambra North Senatorial Zone primaries, which he claimed to have won, whereas the rightful winner was John Okechukwu Emeka Jr. who won the primaries with a landslide.      

  The documents were corroborated with police investigation that culminated with an arrest warrant issued by a Magistrate Court in Abuja . Events took a dramatic turn when Sen. Igbeke went into hiding to avoid arrest by the police. He later issued a defiant statement through his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, claiming he had done nothing wrong, and insisting he was the rightful winner of the Anambra North Senatorial District seat.      

  Sen. Igbeke also threatened legal action against the Nigerian police, accusing them of a witch-hunt. But the police countered with a 22-page affidavit, and wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly to release him for questioning in connection with the fraud and forgery allegations. Sen. Igbeke's stand-off with the police was finally broken when the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello charged him with two counts of fraud and perjury.      

  Meanwhile, the rightful winner of the Anambra North Senatorial District, Senator-elect John Emeka Jr. filed a suit at the Appeal Court against Sen. Igbeke, accusing him of using forged documents to induce the judge, Justice Abdu Kafarati into erroneously ordering INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Sen. Igbeke as winner of the Anambra North Senatorial District Seat. Senator Igbeke now faces additional charges, including obstruction of justice, fraud and abuse of office.      

  With the overwhelming evidence against him in the court, and INEC also disavowing him, the jury is out as to who the real winner of the Anambra North Senatorial District seat. It is just a matter of time for the courts to give the victory to where, it really indeed belonged; to Senator-elect John Okechukwu Emeka Jr.