ABUJA- Former Minister of foreign Affairs and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Major General Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu (rtd) has called for the arrest and prosecution of a member of the House of Representatives, Chief Albert Abiodun Adeogun over an alleged electoral fraud that produced him as PDP candidate in the 2007 National Assembly election in Ife federal constituency of Osun State.In a strongly worded letter to PDP National Chairman, Chief Vincent Eze Ogbulafor, Gen. Nwachukwu who was the Chairman, PDP National Electoral Panel that conducted the 2006 primary election in Osun State condemned in strong terms the fraudulent manner in which the winner of the primary elections for Ife Federal Constitution, Hon John Fasogbon, was substituted with someone that never took part in the party primary election.General Ike Nwachukwu’s angry reaction was provoked by a petition by a member of the House of Representative, Hon. Albert Adeogun (Ife federal constituency) dated February 13, 2009 to PDP National Chairman in which he alleged that the result sheet in possession of one Hon Fasogbon was forged and that he (Fasogbon) also stole the certificate of return from PDP National Secretariat Abuja.Hon. Adeogun and Fasogbon have been involved in legal battle in the past two years over the authentic candidate of PDP for Ife federal constituency during the 2007 general election.Adeogun had claimed before the court of appeal in Abuja that he was the PDP elected candidate for Ife Federal Constituency and that “the certificate of return in favour of Fasogbon could not have emanated from PDP headquarters in Abuja ”.The federal lawmaker literarily dug his own grave when he mustered the effrontery to write the PDP National Chairman on National Assembly letter headed paper personally signed by him and challenged PDP National Secretariat “to state in clear terms” the status of documents in possession of his opponent.However PDP National Chairman who considered the petition and the allegations therein as very serious ordered an immediate- in-house investigation into the petition.The in-house investigation by the office of the National Organising Secretary, however, revealed that the certificate of return for Ife Federal Constituency of Osun State signed by General Ike Nwachukwu was issued in favour of Hon. John O. Fasogbon as the winner neither did Hon Adeogun feature in the primary contest.Upon receipt of the in-house report, signed by the NOS, Prince Uche Secondus, Chief Ogbulafor ordered that a letter be dispatched to General Ike Nwachukwu to confirm or deny issuance of the certificate of return and to as well authenticate his signature on it.The PDP letter dated March 12, 2009 and signed by Chief Uche Secondus to General Nwachukwu asked him to urgently confirm the authenticity or otherwise of the document in dispute and his signature on it in view of the legal battle by the two contending PDP members.In a swift reaction to PDP letter General Nwachukwu in his reply dated March 27, 2009 and personally signed by him confirmed the genuineness of the result sheet and the certificate of return which contained his signature as the authentic documents his National Electoral panel issued in favour of Hon. Fasogbon.He confirmed that the result sheet was issued by Hon. Wahab Olaniyam and Prince Lere Laoye who were representatives of his panel at the venue of the election on 25th November, 2006 upon which the final certificate of return was also issued in favour of the winner.Apparently piqued by Adeogun’s petition and the fraudulent manner in which the winner of the primary election was substituted, General Nwachukwu demanded in his reply to the PDP National Chairman that Adeogun and others involved in the electoral fraud must be persecuted to a logical conclusion for a criminal offence to serve as deterrent to others who might wish to subvert the wish of the people in future.The letter dated 27th March, 2009 read in part ““I wish to confirm that that the result sheet that returns Hon. John O. Fasogun which contained my signature and dated 26 November, 2006 is the authentic result sheet submitted to the National Secretariat of the PDP.By- MIKE ODIAKOSE
Comments