Akinwale Akintunde
The controversy between Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and his challenger, Dr. Obinna Uzoh, in the tussle for the Anambra South senatorial seat raged further yesterday when the senator accused Uzoh of tampering with his National Examination Council (NECO) result and liable to a jail term for blackmailing him.
Ubah said Uzoh, in his bid to foist himself as a senator, has resorted to misleading the judiciary, parading a photoshop of his NECO results and sponsoring unsubstantiated allegations against him.
The tussle for the Anambra South senatorial seat started when Uzoh of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filed a pre-election suit to challenge the nomination of Ubah by his party, Young Progressive Party (YPP) for the Anambra South senatorial district election, alleging that the senator presented a forged NECO certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Delivering judgment in the suit filed before a Federal Capital Territory High Court, the trial judge, Justice Bello Kawu nullified Ubah’s election as the senator representing Anambra South for allegedly using a forged NECO certificate to contest the senatorial election that held in the state on February 23, 2019.
The judge ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ubah and issues a fresh certificate of return to Uzoh, the candidate of the PDP who came second in the election as the senator-elect of the district.
The lawmaker, however, approached the court to set aside the judgment on the grounds that he was neither given fair hearing nor served with the court processes and hearing notice in the suit before the court delivered the judgment against him.
Following his application for a stay of execution, the judge on December 4, restrained the Senate president from swearing-in Uzoh, pending the hearing and determination of the motion challenging the verdict.
The court equally ordered all the parties, including the INEC to maintain the status quo until it decides the merit in Ubah’s contention.
But the judge on Friday, January 17 held that Ubah’s application to vacate its judgment lacked merit and accordingly dismissed it.
However, in a sudden twist, NECO wrote to the YPP leadership claiming that the NECO certificate was genuine and issued to Ifeanyi Ubah in 2003.
Despite the fact that NECO affirmed the authenticity of the senator’s certificate after he had been previously sacked, Uzor insisted that the NECO school certificate tendered by Ubah to INEC was forged.
He cited some discrepancies between the initial certificate Ubah submitted to INEC and the NECO-certified copy.
For instance, Uzoh alleged that the initial certificate has serial number: 303865920 while the NECO certified copy has serial number: 303565920, adding that the certificates have different signatures, logos and even fonts.
However, in a statement issued yesterday, Ubah stated Uzoh initially alleged that he forged his NECO results because his certificate has seven credits without one F9 in biology which is clearly contained in the statement of result, adding that this vividly showed that Uzoh and his cronies are not in tune with the conventional practices of examination bodies; NECO in this case, and WAEC also.
“Recent events have further unveiled the fact that he does not know the difference between a “Statement of result” and “Certificate of Result”. It also crystal clear that Obinna Uzoh does not know that INEC requires candidates to submit only “Certificate of Result” and not “Statement of Result”.
“It is a well known fact that Uzoh and his stooge, the claimant; Anani Cletus through their lawyer swore an affidavit before the court stating that the missing F9 was the basis of their allegation. NECO officially responded and punctured their false claim with a letter authenticating and clearing Ifeanyi Ubah of the forgery allegation by stating that they do not include failed (F9) subjects in their certificate. Obinna Uzoh seeing that he has landed himself in another dilemma has once again, shifted the goal post.
This time, he photoshopped a NECO certificate and tried to alter the serial number, changing number (8) to (5) without looking at the body of the letter emanating from NECO which clearly stated the serial number *303865920* twice.
Ubah asked: Why has he resorted to cheap, hired media propaganda instead of writing to NECO to authenticate his claim? What is holding Obinna Uzoh and his lawyers from applying for a CTC from NECO? Why has he not come out publicly like Senator Ifeanyi Ubah to make an official press statement or use his lawyers, supporters or family members to issue an official statement to this effect? Why is he hiding behind the curtains to blackmail Ubah with unsubstantiated propaganda? Could it be because Obinna Uzoh knows it is a crime to clone NECO certificate/result?”
He concluded that Uzoh faces lengthy jail term for forgery, blackmail and perjury should he be unable to prove any of the facts stated above are wrong by showing the original copy of what was forged to the public for the first time.
Responding to the accusations, through his lawyers, Gocuz Chambers, said he would not join issues with Senator Ubah on the pages of newspapers or social media.
He added that he cannot descend low with him, noting that there is a consequential judgment of court.
“Gocuz Chambers will not join issues with Ifeanyi Ubah on the pages of newspapers or social media. We can’t descend low with him. There is a consequential judgment of court. He should seek advice from his lawyers on what next to do.”
