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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The newly confirmed National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Rhoda Gumus, has expressed shock over reports and petitions accusing her of being a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Gumus was a lecturer in the Department of Chemical/Petroluem/ Petrochemical Engineering of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Bayelsa State before her confirmation.
The Convener of Concerned Nigerian groups, Mr Deji Adeyanju while rejecting her nomination, had petitioned the Senate President accusing Gamus of being a card-carrying member of the APC.
However Gumus through her legal firm, Adams Fasingha & Co. gave 14 days to the, Mr. Deji Adeyanju and newspapers( notThe Sun) to retract the allegation and apologise to her or face a legal action.
Adams Fasingha & Co in a letter dated February 9th and addressed to Adeyanju said Gumus, a Professor of Chemical Engineering, remained non partisan and never belonged to any political party including the APC.
The letter signed by the firm’s Managing Solicitor, Adams Fasingha, noted that the academic track record of Gumus compelled President Muhammadu Buhari to nominate her as a commissioner for INEC and forward her name to the National Assembly for confirmation.
“Our client was shocked and traumatised to hear that you petitioned her to the Senate President stating false information that she was a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is a blatant lie.
“For the records, it is clear that such manifest falsehood is geared towards misleading the general public and drag her good name to the mud”, the letter said.
The letter further described as forged an APC membership slip and register, upon which the allegation against her was made.
It said: “Our client has discovered that her picture was super-imposed to a fake APC register and membership slip. In the said purported register, her signature was forged and thump printed like an illiterate jurat.
“Similarly, her name in the said register was concocted without a voter registration number, which ought to be in all membership card or slip.
The letter further stated that while the petition claimed that Gamus is from Yenagoa Ward 8, she is actually from Koroma Ward 9.
“The effect of this libelous publication had caused our client so much embarrassment and had eroded her dignity in society,” it stated.
“Take further notice that where you are adamant and refuse to retract this malicious publication, we shall be left with no other alternative than to Institute this matter in a court of law of competent jurisdiction”.
