Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
A candidate of Accord Party in just concluded National Assembly elections to represent Orumba North and South federal constituency, Mr Sopuluchukwu Ezeonwuka, has been arrested by the operatives of Anambra state Police Criminal Investigative Department, Awka, for alleged forgery and falsification of election results.
Ezeonwuka was arrested following a petition written against him by the legal adviser of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Ifebuche S. Ezeokenwa, in the state over the alleged connivance of some INEC officials now at large to doctor results of some polling units of the already announced result of the election to pave way for him at the tribunal.
It was gathered that Ezeonwuka, a lawyer who finished 5th with about 500 votes in the House of Representatives elections held on 23rd February for Orumba north/south federal constituency as announced and declared by INEC on the 24th of February, connived with some INEC officials and doctored over 60 polling units results in Orumba north, which he intended to submit to the election petition tribunal as evidence in his quest to achieve his personal and selfish interest.
Recall that the suspect was allegedl to have stolen via orgery and falsification the mandate of Hon. Ben Nwankwo in 2015, denying Nwankwo, the incubent House of Representatives member, the opportunity of representing Orumba North and South Federal Constituency for almost two years.
It took the intervention of the apex court to restore the mandate of Hon. Ben. Nwankwo in 2017. He (Ezeonwuka) was asked by the apex court to refund all salary and allowances paid to him during his stay at the green Chambers.
Daily Sun learnt that luck ran out on Ezeonwuka and his collaborators within INEC when the House of Representatives member for Orumba north/south federal constituency, Chief Dr. Okwudili Ezenwankwo, of APGA applied to INEC for the certified true copy of the result that was announced and declared, but was discovered that the polling units results of over 60 units in Orumba north was nowhere to be found; this got the member-elect apprehensive, which prompted him to file a petition to the INEC chairman through the APGA party legal adviser, S.I Ezeokenwa Esq.
It was later discovered that, upon careful investigation, Ezeonwuka with the help of some INEC officials who are at large doctored the original results of over 60 polling units in Orumba north.
A petition was written by the the APGA legal adviser to the Anambra state commissioner of police who issued a warrant for the arrest of Ezeonwuka, who was arrested in Awka on Friday.
He was arraigned Monday in the Ajali Magistrate Court Orumba North local government area after the case was called upon. Presiding magistrate, F. N Nweke-Onuchujwu, granted the suspect bail and adjourned the matter to May 25 for hearing.