Edo Guber 2024: Panic In Labour Party as Akpata faces disqualification over identity forgery, fraudulent misrepresentation
…court gives ruling on Monday.
By Ogie Imasogie
There is palpable panic and tension in the camp of the Labour Party in the Edo State and its gubernatorial candidate, Olumide Akpata as some voters in the State have filed a suit before an Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, seeking the disqualification of the party’s candidate over alleged forged identity, fraudulent misrepresentation and deception of electorate in the State.
The claimants in the case with suit no. B/372/2024, said the civil name and identity of the Labour Party candidate is Anthony Olumide Akpata and not Osaigbovo Olumide Akpata as he now claims for ‘selfish electoral gains’.
The case is set to be heard on Monday, May 06, 2024 before Justice Joy Okeaya-Inneh of the Edo State High Court.
“We want the Court to consign him to present himself as Anthony Olumide Akpata and stop parading himself as Osaigbovo Olumide which he now uses to deceive the Edo electorate.
In the writ of summon made available to our correspondents, the claimants represented Prof Ike Aghaosa , Comr Osadebamen Okhilua and Comrade Marxist Sunday Ogun, urged the court to stop Akpata from participating in the September 21 polls, to tender an unreserved apology to the claimants who are Edo voters, a corrigendum in newspapers, television and radio stations, retracting the misinformation and fraudulent misrepresentation and a punitive fine of five million naira.
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Some exhibits attached to the document include Akpata’s affidavit of support in the case against Anderson Uwadiae Asemota, the factional gubernatorial candidate of the Lamidi Apapa-led faction wherein he stated that his name is Olumide Anthony Akpata and not Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata as sued by the defendant; the list of candidates published by INEC where his name appeared as Anthony Olumide Akpata, and his Labour Party Certificate of Return with his name as Anthony Olumide Akpata, among others.
“When he contested as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), his name was Anthony; when he joined the Labour Party, his name was Anthony; in the case with Anderson Uwadiae Asemota, the other Labour Party faction in the State, he said on oath that his name was Anthony not Osaigbovo; his name submitted to INEC was Anthony; in the list of candidates published by INEC, his name was Anthony; in his Labour Party Certificate of Return, his name was Anthony, and in his voters card his name is Anthony,” a source who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said.
He further queried: “Who then is Osaigbovo that we now see in the many billboards that were commissioned by him? At what point did he transfigure from Anthony Olumide Akpata to Osaigbovo Olumide Akpata? Or is Anthony and Osaigbovo a different people? Is he just trying to lie and deceive Edo people just for the selfish goal of swaying voters on the basis of ethnic sentiments?
“Edo voters really need to know who they are voting for and this is why we are in Court.”
Some sections of the writ of summons cited by our correspondent reads, “A DECLARATION of this Honourable Court that the Claimants being eligible Voters in the forthcoming 21st September, 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election and are wont to rely on truthful, honest and decent communication by and/or on behalf of candidates of political parties and political parties in making informed choices with regards to who to vote for, and the Claimants are entitled to being communicated to bona fide, truthfully, honestly and with candor by candidates and political parties participating in the said election to be conducted by the 3rd Defendant.
“A DECLARATION of this Honourable Court that the name and civil identity of the 1st Defendant for all time and all purposes, including as showing in the 3rd Defendant’s publication of the particulars of the 1st Defendant as the 2nd Defendant’s candidate in the 21st September, 2024 aforesaid off-season election, is ANTHONY OLUMIDE AKPATA and as such the name ANTHONY OLUMIDE AKPATA should remain for all purposes the name and civil identity of the 1st Defendant, the said name is and should be the name the 1st Defendant is lawfully permitted to hold out to and project to prospective Voters and through the mass media and howsoever for the purpose of the election, under reference.
It further added, “A DECLARATION of this Honourable Court that the 1st and 2nd Defendants’ wont, style and pattern of using and/or adding the Benin name “OSAIGBOVO” to the name and civil identity of the 1st Defendant in the 1st and 2nd Defendants’ public presence qua mass communication and presentations, as verily showing in online adverts, billboards, paid advertorial in print and electronic media, etc same the Claimants find to be deliberate false information/broadcast, pretentious, misleading, cheating, stealing of the identity of another person, underhand therefore corrupt interference and practice, vile, repugnant, deceitful, deliberate deceitful communication, willful and fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, hateful communication, forgery which said acts are also verily forbidden by extant laws, including the Electoral Act, 2022, Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, and the Criminal Code law as applicable within the Edo State of Nigeria.”
