ACN Suspends Senator Ola Over Forgery, Perjury

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has suspended Senator Olabode Ola representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly for alleged forgery and perjury.

A statement signed by ACN Acting Chairman in Ado Ekiti, Ado Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Mr. S. Iginla, said Ola was suspended in line with Article 9 sub-section 9.6 of the ACN constitution as amended in 2010.

The statement reads in part: “Members were informed that the case has been reported to the Nigeria Police in Ado Ekiti and chief Olajide Awe, ACN state chairman had obtained police extract on the matter. It was also discovered that the forged documents were used by Senator Ola as exhibits to obtain the purported injunction at an Abuja High Court. The case has been referred to the Divisional Crime Bureau (DCB) for further investigation and possible arrest.”

The ACN Ekiti Central Senatorial candidate, Mr. Babafemi Ojudu, had appealed against the order of an Abuja Federal High Court which gave the ticket to Senator Ola. The court acted on the documents allegedly forged by the senator.

Justice Abdul Kafarati had ordered that Ojudu’s name be replaced with that of Senator Ola in the April election after relying on the alleged forged documents.

Ojudu alleged that Senator Ola presented a fake result of the primary election and a forged letter purportedly written by the Ekiti State Chairman of ACN, Chief Olajide Awe to the court, thus misleading Justice Kafarati to arrive at the decision that the incumbent senator won the primary.

Ojudu in a statement he issued after the court order, said: “My attention has been drawn to the purported court order obtained by Senator Bode Ola at an Abuja High Court. Senator Ola went to court claiming that he was the winner of our party’s primary election in Ekiti Central Senatorial District held in January. He supported his claim with made up documents with forged signature of the party’s chairman in Ekiti State.

“Based on these documents the exparte order was given by the judge in Abuja. Our party leaders are embarrassed by this, particularly coming from a serving Senator. A case of forgery was has been lodged against Senator Ola at Ologede Police Station in Ado Ekiti by the Ekiti State Chairman of the party, High Chief Olajide Awe.

“The National Chairman of our party, Chief Bisi Akande has instructed the Chambers of Messrs Femi Falana to proceed to Abuja and vacate the order. Mr. Falana has commenced this action in Abuja.”

“Meanwhile, the INEC final list of candidates for the April 2011 elections has published my name as the authentic candidate for the Ekiti Central Senatorial District. I am therefore calling on all our party members to remain calm and be law abiding in the face of this clear provocation as we set aside this illegal and fraudulent court process. Our campaign is going on in earnest and victory will at end be ours.”

—Gbenro Adesina/ Ibadan