By Charles Igbo
The immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uche Ogah, was on Thursday, December, 8, 2022, convicted by an Abia Magistrate Court for forgery.
The Magistrate, Ngozi Nwangwa, ordered that Ogah, who was not in Court, as has been the case since the case started, be arrested and imprisoned anywhere he is seen in the Country.
Nwangwa’s judgment was in respect of Suit No. UMSC/362/2022 brought against Ogah by his Party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
In the criminal complaint, the Party alleged that Ogah did not take part in the Governorship Primary held on May 26, 2022, yet with the intent that it may be acted upon as genuine, forged the result sheet of the Party’s Direct Primary.
The Abia State APC had organised two parallel Primaries, one of which declared Ogah winner, and the other, supported by the Party’s leadership in the State, declaring Ikechi Emenike winner.
The APC submitted that the forgery by Ogah hurt the Party and its “authentic Governorship Candidate, Chief Ikechi Emenike.” Ogah, according to the Party, for that, committed an offence contrary to Section 465 of the Criminal Code (as applicable in Abia) and punishable under Section 467.”
Prosecution Witness 1, Chief Chidi Awaja, State Secretary to the Party, tendered six exhibits numbered “A – F” against Ogah which Vigilus Nwankwo, Counsel to the APC, described as “unchallenged and incontrovertible evidence” against Ogah.
Magistrate Nwangwa, in her judgement said that the defendant/ respondents is “guilty as charged. I am convinced that the defendant has no defence. I hereby commit Dr. Uche Ogah for the offence as charged.”
She ordered Security Agents to arrest Dr Ogah anywhere he is seen and keep him in the nearest Correctional Center.
On November 12, The Honourable Justice Binta Nyako of the FCT Federal High Court Abuja, has pronounced Ogah the duly elected Governorship candidate of the Abia APC, and removed Emenike, who had earlier been recognized as the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Born in 1969, Dr Ogah, who attended Olabisi Onabanjo University, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and The University of Lagos, is the President of Master Energy Group – a conglomerate with over 15 subsidiaries.
A source close to him dismissed his conviction, and said he would appeal the judgement, given that he has a judgment from a superior Court which declared him the APC Governorship Candidate.
