Court sacks Plateau lawmaker | Nairalaw

A Federal High Court sitting in Jos has sacked a Plateau state
lawmaker, Ibrahim Baba Hassan, over a diploma certificate forgery
he claimed to have been obtained from the University of Jos.

Hassan, who is currently representing Jos North-North
constituency at the Plateau state House of Assembly was taken to
court since 2015 by Abdul Nasir Saleh, challenging the authenticity
of his Diploma Certificate in Business Administration which he
claimed to have obtained from University of Jos.

Saleh contested party primaries with the lawmaker on the
platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015 where he came
second.

The presiding Judge, Justice Musa Kurya on Tuesday in his
judgement on the matter said there was no trace of proof that the
diploma certificate submitted to Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) by the lawmaker is genuinely obtained from
University Jos.

Kurya said based on the direct and oral evidence submitted by
the Registrar of the institution before the court, it is true that
the certificate presented by the embattled lawmaker to INEC in 2015
was not obtained from the said institution.

Justice Kurya added that the evidence giving by the Registrar,
“is true and uncontroversial.”

Kurya also granted all the prayers requested by the plaintiff,
“That the information that the 1st Defendant possess a Diploma in
Business Administration (Lower Credit) from the University of Jos,
Plateau State, Nigeria on 26 of November 1996 which the 1st
Defendant stated and supplied in Affidavit in support of Personal
Particulars of Persons seeking election to Office/Membership of
Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North-North
Constituency of Plateau State sworn in the Registry of the High
Court, on the 16th December, 2014 to the Independent National
Electoral Commission is false.

“That the 1st Defendant was not qualified to contest election
into Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North-North
Constituency in view of the fact that the information that the 1st
Defendant possesses is false.” He ruled.

Justice Kurya also ruled that the plaintiff was the rightful
candidate of the 2nd Defendant (APC) in the election into the
Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of the Jos North-North
Constituency of Plateau State held on the 11th April, 2015, being
the only qualified aspirant in the Primary Election held by the 2nd
Defendant to nominate its candidate for the said election
concerning the Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos
North Constituency of Plateau State, to have contested the said
election.

The judge also granted an order directing the 3rd Defendant
(INEC) to accept and recognise forthwith the name of the Plaintiff
as the legitimate Candidate of the 2nd Defendant for the 2015
elections into the State House of Assembly for Jos North-North
Constituency in plateau State.

The judge also ordered that the sum of N5 million being the
total legal fees for prosecuting the matter from inception and N25
million as General Damages to be given to the plaintiff.