The Imo Government had earlier called on the police to arrest and question Ugochinyere over alleged hacking of the saver of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and forgery of a lawyer’s signature and stamp used to file a “secret court action” in a Federal High Court in Owerri, to stop the use of Biometric Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.
The spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has alleged that there is a plan to arrest him over CUPP’s claim that voter registration in Omuma, the ward of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, was inflated with fictitious names.
The Imo Government had earlier called on the police to arrest and question Ugochinyere over alleged hacking of the saver of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and forgery of a lawyer’s signature and stamp used to file a “secret court action” in a Federal High Court in Owerri, to stop the use of Biometric Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.
According to the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, the lawyer whose stamp and signature were used in the said “secret court action” has denied it.
Emelumba said, “The Imo State government would have completely ignored a recent public statement, credited to one Ikenga Ugochinyere, claiming that voter registration in Omuma, the home ward of His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, the Governor of Imo State, was inflated with fictitious names.
“This is partly because it is coming from a man whose life has been defined by recklessness, irresponsibility and seditious outburst. However, doing so will be wrong because that will amount to condoning the criminality of his action.
“This is why we deem it necessary to call on the relevant security agencies to immediately arrest the said Ugochinyere, to find out from him how he obtained the voters register he has been parading before the public even when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is still at the stage of Automated Biometric Verification of the System (ABIS), which must be concluded before an official voters register can be released to the public.
“INEC has issued an official statement on this and has even gone further to list the names of the states that entered fictitious registration of voters. Imo State is not on that list. It is therefore clear that Ugochinyere either hacked INEC Saver and doctored documents there or forged the document he was brandishing. Either way, (it) is criminal and he must be immediately arrested for questioning.”
In a tweet on Monday, Ugochinyere said the police were planning to arrest him and arraign him on trumped-up charges before a magistrate court.
“Public Alert: I have confirmed that the Imo Police Anti kidnap Unit is planning to abduct me & Hon.Geff Ojinika & use trumped-up charges before a magistrate court to silence the Opposition from exposing more shocking details on those who compromised the voters Register @PoliceNG,” he posted.
Calls put across by SaharaReporters to Michael Abattam, the state police spokesperson to seek clarification, were not answered nor returned.