Edo 2020: Court Strikes Out Suit Seeking to Disqualify Obaseki Over Fake Certificate

Posted by African Examiner African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Monday, June 29th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking to disqualify the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate from contesting the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

The suit which has been filed since May 29, 2020 by Edobor Williams, Ugesia Godwin and Amedu Anakhu, alleged that Obaseki forged his university certificate.

The Governor who just defected to the PDP was joined as respondents in the suit; the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mr. Muhammadu Adamu.

While ruling Monday, Justice Anwuli Chikere struck out the suit because the plaintiffs’ lawyers and the defendants were absent in court.

According to the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/553/2020, it was contested that the UI certificate which Obaseki attached to his Form CF.001 which he submitted to INEC for his first term election in 2016 was forged.

The plaintiffs argued that Obaseki’s educational information contained in Part C of the Form CF 001 which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on July 12, 2016 and the first degree certificate of Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies, obtained from the UI were fake.

Citing section 182(1)(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999”, the complainant contended that Governor Obaseki is “not qualified to contest for the Governorship poll of the south south State.

INEC has since scheduled the Edo governorship poll to hold on Saturday, September 19, 2020.