The Federal Government has been urged to give the go ahead for the prosecution of former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha for allegedly aiding electoral violence.
A rights advocacy group, Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International (KHRFI), made the request in a letter to the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata.
The group alleged that the former governor, now a Senator, aided the violence witnessed during the last National Assembly election in the Orlu Senatorial Zone of Imo State.
KHRFI’s Executive Secretary Nnamdi Okere claimed that the evidence of Okorocha’s link with the violence witnessed during the last elections accounted for why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to issue him a certificate of return.
Okere, who said his group was ready to undertake Okorocha’s prosecution, noted that information in a letter of complaint by the Returning Officer for Imo West Senatorial Zone, Prof Innocent Ibeawuchi, was sufficient proof that Okorcha aided the electoral crisis.
He said his group came up with a two-count draft charge which it intends to file against Okorcha as soon as the permission to prosecute is granted.
“Recall that the Returning Officer for Imo West Senatorial Zone, had in a letter addressed to the INEC Chairman accused the former Governor Rochas Anayo Ethelbert Okorocha of holding him hostage and using his thugs to harass and intimidate him to declare the senatorial election result in his favour under duress.
“The said conduct of the former governor has denied the people of Orlu Senatorial zone the opportunity to freely choose their senator for the 9th National Assembly, contrary to the Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act.
“We have perused the said letter by Prof. lbeawuchi and we are of the opinion that the facts in the letter contains sufficient evidence to justify putting the former governor and his thugs on trial for offences under sections 124(1) (3) (b) and (e) 124(5), 128, 129 (1) (i) (j) (k) 129 (4), 130 and 131 (a) (b) (c) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
“We hereby apply for the Attorney General’s fiat to prefer charge and prosecute the former governor of Imo State, Rochas Anayo Ethelbert Okorocha, for the said offences on behalf of the Federal government of Nigeria,”Okere said.
Okorocha has consistently denied the allegations, saying he did not engage in or aid any form of electoral violence.
Following a court order, INEC issued him with the certificate of return.
He was subsequently sworn in as a Senator and has since resumed.
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