I'm Ready to Assist Security Agents - Uba
From Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja
Senator Ugochukwu Uba (PDP, Anambra State) at the weekend reacted strongly to the allegation of Hon. Nicholas Ukachukwu in which he (Ukachukwu) alleged that Uba was behind an attempt to assassinate him.
Uba, in a statement issued by his counsel, Wole Adebayo, and distributed to newsmen at the weekend, expressed his readiness "to assist the police and all security agencies to investigate Ukachukwu's allegation in spite of its apparent lack of bona fide."
Ukachukwu is challenging Uba's election at the Court of Appeal where he is claiming that he was the one elected as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Anambra South senatorial district in the April 12, 2003 election. He was, however, attacked by gunmen last week in his Abuja home. Ukachukwu had accused his political opponents of being behind the attempt to assassinate him.
According to Uba, however, the "ideal reaction would normally have been to ignore this obviously frivolous and stage managed theatrics of desperate politicking, characteristic of a conscienceless and blackmailing extremist."
"The first theory of homicide investigation is to ascertain the motivation of a suspected killer. What could be the motivation of our client killing or attacking Ukachukwu in the face of the following undeniable facts;
"The Court of Appeal, Enugu as the final court in senatorial election petition has reversed the verdict of the election tribunal and confirmed the election of Uba as Senator for the Anambra South District till 2007.
"The application of Ukachukwu for rehearing of the appeal has also failed before another unanimous panel of the same Court of Appeal, bringing the matter doubly to an end. Uba is the incumbent Senator representing his constituency and carrying out his functions without let, hindrance or disturbance from anybody, including Ukachukwu.
"Senator Uba is a Knight of the Anglican Communion who believes in the sanctity of human life and has behind him enviable records of over twenty years as an academic and public servant who cannot for any reason go outside the acceptable limits dictated by his pedigree and standing to engage in violence.
"Ukachukwu as at today is powerless and irrelevant to the continued stay of Uba in the Senate. He is no more important than any other member of his constituency. Since he was not killed when tribunal gave judgement in his favour why would he now be killed when he has completely and finally lost out at the Court of Appeal? His death or coming to harm does Senator Uba no profit, whatsoever," the statement further averred.
Uba noted that his reaction "is informed by the need to clear the air on these reckless allegations of a criminal nature and to direct attention of the appropriate authorities to investigate the activities of Ukachukwu to avoid the feeling of impunity on the part of desperate politicians who do not know their limit in a civilised society where actions and utterances are to be governed by well laid down principles rather than unqualified people plotting to have their way by hook or crook and striving for public office as a matter of life and death, in the mistaken believe that their past records do not matter to the people.
"Ukachukwu's impersonation as a Senator-elect should give every law abiding Nigerian a serious cause for concern. How could a person who lost his party's primary election and who was never presented by his party to INEC and who never contested for the Senate and who was never sworn into the Senate conceive the idea of printing a letter head and writing letters to the Vice President and the Inspector General of Police claiming to be a Senator?
"Unless and indeed until the undeniable allegation of forgery of INEC Election Result Sheet Form 0000193 by Ukachukwu is investigated and prosecuted, these brazen display of disregard for the law and sanctity of the legal process will continue unabated.
"Unless and indeed until the now notorious disruption and violence meted on the Court of Appeal, Enugu in its sitting of February 26, 2004 leads to prosecution and exemplary punishments, Ukachukwu's self injected dose of legal immunity will push him to a point farther and further than his present intolerable level of disdain for the rule of law," Uba surmised.
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