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Alleged Certificate Forgery; Court Decides Obaseki’s Fate on Saturday

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, will know his fate on Saturday when the Abuja division of the Federal High Court passes its ruling on the alleged certificate forgery case filed against him by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its member, Edobor Williams.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed fixed the judgment after both parties adopted their final briefs of argument through their counsels.

Akin Olujimi (SAN) urged the court to grant all the claims his clients seek in the matter. The counsel to Obaseki, Ken Mozia (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the suit, insisting that the Plaintiffs failed to prove their allegation that his client submitted forged credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Also, counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Razaq Isenalohme prayed the court to not only dismiss the case but to do so with substantial cost.

However, INEC, through its lawyer, M. N. Bawa, stated that it did not file any process in the matter.

Bawa stated;

“In the circumstance, we will be urging the court to decide the matter one way or the other based on processes before this court”

The plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/B/CS/74/2020 alleged that Obaseki forged the University of Ibadan degree certificate he submitted to INEC, in aid of his qualification for the governorship election that held in Edo state on September 19, 2020.

They equally alleged that there were discrepancies in the subjects that Obaseki claimed he passed in his West African Examination Council (WAEC) exam and the ones in his testimonial.

They are therefore praying the court to declare that Obaseki’s claim in his INEC form EC9 at column C, sworn to on June 29, 2020, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court Registry to the effect that he obtained from the University of Ibadan in 1979, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classical Studies is false and contrary to Section 31 (5) and (6) of the Electoral Act, 2010.

The Plaintiffs closed their case last Monday after they called a total of six witnesses and tendered 17 exhibits before the court.

On his part, the governor closed his case after calling three witnesses and presenting 18 exhibits.

Among the materials he tendered before the court, the original copy of the Bachelor of Arts degree certificate awarded to him by the University of Ibadan in 1979 was included, a certificate the APC alleges was forged.

Some other forms of proof presented by Obaseki to prove his qualification are the School Certificate the West African Examination Council, WAEC issued to him in 1976, as well as the original copy of his Primary School Certificate issued in July 1971.

The PDP further told the court that it would rely on Obaseki’s defense.

However, INEC said it had no witnesses to call in the matter.

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