In what could be a new twist in the Imo North Senatorial seat contest, the screening committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said only five (5) aspirants were cleared to contest the Okigwe Zone Senate seat.
They include, Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Araraume, Hon. Mark Uchendu, Chidinma Uwajumogu, Bright Nwachukwu and Eze Joachim Okoro.
Those who were disqualified according to the APC screening committee includes, Hon Matthew Omegara, Achonu Athanasius Nneji, Ibezim Chukwuma Frank, Uchenna Onyeiwu Uba, Onuoha Chikwem Chijioke and Iheanacho Celestine Ihim.
In a press statement availed Daily Nigerian Horn, the screening committee said that it was with utmost dismay that their report which cleared 5 aspirants and have six not cleared for very cogent and verifiable reasons were jettisoned by allowing both cleared and not cleared aspirants to run for the primary stressing that one of the aspirants not cleared is being touted as having emerged as winner in the controversial primary election. It reads:
“For record purposes, the eleven Senatorial Aspirants screened were”;
SENATOR IFEANYI GODWIN ARARAUME
HON. MATTHEW OMEGARA
ACHONU ATHANASIUS NNEJI
UCHENDU MARK CHIJIOKE
IBEZIM CHUKWUMA FRANK
EDITH CHIDINMAUWAJIMUOGO
UCHENNA ONYEIWU- UBA
EZE JOACHIM OKORO
BRIGHT NWACHUKWU
ONUOHA CHIKWEM CHIJIOKE
IHEANACHO CELESTINE IHIM
Our Committee cleared five (5) aspirants namely:
SENATOR IFEANYI GODWIN ARARUME
UCHENDU MARK CHIJIOKE
EDITH CHIDINMA UWAJIMUOGU
BRIGHT NWACHUKWU
EZE JOACHIM OKOROS
Six (6) other aspirants were disqualified for not meeting the basic requirements and they are:
HON. MATTHEW OMEGARA
ACHONU ATHANASIUS NNEJI
IBEZIM CHUKWUMA FRANK
UCHENNA ONYEIWU UBA
ONUOHA CHIKWEM CHIJIOKE
IHEANACHO CELESTINE IHIM
Section 3(f) of the guidelines for the nomination of candidates stipulates that ONLY aspirants fully cleared by the party shall be eligible to stand election at the party’s primaries.
Section 3(k) also clearly stated that all aspirants must show knowledge of the party’s manifestos and programs and must commit themselves to the full implementation of the party’s goals and objectives.
Not losing sight of section 3(L) which states that all aspirants are to submit evidence of membership of the party for at least one year except a waiver is given.
Therefore in compliance with section 11 of same guidline stipulating the roles and responsibilities of the screening committee, we have done our job sincerely, honestly and diligently without fear or favour but we have observed that Mr. Frank Ibezim who is purported to be one of the possible flag bearers of our party, was not cleared to contest the Imo North Senatorial primary elections on the following grounds.
He did not submit any originals of his educational qualification certificates or properly certified true copies for citing.
He presented a statutory declaration of age deposed to by one Emmanuel Ibezim, who happens to be his elder brother. The statutory age declaration was not signed by the declarant, which rendered the document invalid.
He submitted another affidavit stating the loss of his academic qualification certificates which was not signed by the deponent, this also rendered the document invalid.
The said unsigned affidavit did not have a police extract in support, to show that he reported to the law enforcement authority.
Mr. Frank Ibezim submitted the photocopies of his academic certificates which he said were missing namely, WAEC CERTIFICATE, UNIVERSITY DEGREE AND NYSC CERTIFICATE,
Purportedly certified as true copies of the originals and we made the following observations.
One person signed a signature on all the photocopies of his certificates and dated them for a fee of N500.00, as though they were being certified as true copies.
Nothing written on the academic certificates read ‘certified true copies.
Nothing written on them showed who purportedly certified the certificates as true copies.
Nothing written on them showed where they were certified in other to prove that the certifier had custody of the originals as required by law.
For such certificates as WAEC CERTIFICATE, the custodian of the original should be the West African Examinations Council and they should be the ones to certify a photocopy as a true copy of the original
For such certificates as UNIVERSITY DEGREE obtained from Imo state University, the custodian of the original should be the issuing university and they alone can certify a copy as true copy of the original.
For such certificates as the NYSC CERTIFICATE, only the National Youth Service Commission can certify a photocopy of the certificate as the true copy of the original as the issuing authority.
It is important to note that these institutions mentioned are the only ones to do the certifications as the certificates have been reported as missing.
It is also noteworthy that Mr. Ibezim’s invalid affidavit of loss of certificates was dated in 2010 and he has had them for 10 years without signature and he never made any attempt to contact the issuing authorities to properly certify them assuming, though not conceding that they even existed, and thereby presenting fake documents to the screening committee.
As responsible party loyalists, we are committed to ensuring that our party does the right thing by putting the right foot forward to win the Imo North senatorial by-elections which shall be keenly contested, we have brought this petition early in the day to your notice as a stitch in time.
Dr. Lawrence Chuku
Chairman Imo North Senatorial Screening Committee.
