Dare Babalola
A federal high court in Abuja has given Rep. Amobi Ogah the green light to seek prosecution of Labour Minister Nkeiruka Onyejeocha over alleged 2023 election result forgery.
Ogah claims Onyejeocha presented fake polling unit results to the election tribunal, sparking calls for investigation and possible prosecution.
Justice M.G. Umar approved the request on September 23, after Ogah, representing Isikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency in Abia State, filed an ex parte motion seeking prosecution of Onyejeocha over alleged election result forgery.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in February 2023, declared Ogah of the Labour Party (LP) the winner of the Isikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency election in Abia State, securing 11,769 votes, while Nkeiruka Onyejeocha of the All Progressives Congress (APC) trailed behind with 8,752 votes.
Onyejeocha, a former House of Representatives member, challenged the election outcome at the tribunal, seeking to nullify Ogah’s victory.
In September 2023, the tribunal sacked Ogah and declared Onyejeocha winner.
Ogah appealed the verdict, seeking reinstatement.
However, the Court of Appeal reinstated Amobi Ogah’s victory in November 2023, overturning the tribunal’s earlier decision.
In a petition dated April 14, 2024, addressed to Mahmood Yakubu, then INEC chairman, Ogah alleged that Onyejeocha forged some polling unit results presented before the tribunal.
According to Ogah, chairman of the House committee on tuberculosis and malaria, he attributed the delay in petitioning INEC to the time needed to gather sufficient evidence.
“All persons who applied to your commission were given copies of the result sheets on payment of the prescribed fees. I applied and was given all the aforementioned results with which I defended the petition filed at the election tribunal by Hon. Onyejeocha,” Ogah said.
“Surprisingly, in the course of the tribunal proceedings, Hon. Onyejeocha procured and presented to the tribunal a different set of polling unit results in respect of sixty-three (63) polling units that seemingly had INEC certification.
“These were entirely different from the authentic results issued and certified by your office in Umuahia, Abia state, and the INEC national headquarters in Abuja.”
In September, Ogah filed an ex parte application, seeking a mandamus order compelling INEC to investigate and prosecute Onyejeocha.
He alleged that the minister forged some election results (exhibit 3) and “passed them off as official documents”.
“An order of this honourable court granting leave to the applicant to apply for an order of mandamus against the respondent, compelling the respondent to investigate and prosecute Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha for the electoral offence of forging the election results of polling units within the Isikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia state,” the motion reads.
Justice Umar granted Ogah’s request for leave on September 23, allowing him to proceed with the motion for mandamus.
“An order is hereby made granting leave to the applicant to apply for an order of mandamus against the respondent, compelling the respondent to investigate and prosecute Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha for the electoral offence of forging the election results of polling units within the Isikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia state,” the court held.
The case was adjourned to November 11 for hearing of the substantive motion.
