Alleged Certificate Forgery: Court of Appeal Dismisses Obaseki’s Application For Stay Of Proceedings

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed an
application filed by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki,
seeking a stay of proceedings in the certificate forgery case
instituted against him.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and a chieftain of the
party, Williams Edobor, had filed a suit against Governor Obaseki,
accusing him of forging the first-degree certificate he submitted
to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enable
him to contest the September 19 governorship election in Edo
State.

The plaintiff also claimed that there are discrepancies in the
subject Obaseki claimed he passed in his West African Examinations
Council (WAEC) exam.

Obaseki in his appeal had asked the federal high court in Abuja
to suspend the case indefinitely on the grounds that he had filed
an application at the appellate court.

Through his counsel, Ken Mozia, Governor Obaseki had challenged
the competence of APC’s reply to his defence, asking the court to
remove some paragraphs in the plaintiffs’ statement of reply.

But in a ruling delivered on December 2, the presiding judge,
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, dismissed the governor’s motion.

Governor Obaseki subsequently appealed the judgement, causing
the judge to suspend the case at the lower court indefinitely.

The appellate court has ordered the governor to return to the
lower court for the continuous hearing of the suit against him.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed an
application filed by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki,
seeking a stay of proceedings in the certificate forgery case
instituted against him.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and a chieftain of the
party, Williams Edobor, had filed a suit against Governor Obaseki,
accusing him of forging the first-degree certificate he submitted
to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enable
him to contest the September 19 governorship election in Edo
State.

The plaintiff also claimed that there are discrepancies in the
subject Obaseki claimed he passed in his West African Examinations
Council (WAEC) exam.

Obaseki in his appeal had asked the federal high court in Abuja
to suspend the case indefinitely on the grounds that he had filed
an application at the appellate court.

Through his counsel, Ken Mozia, Governor Obaseki had challenged
the competence of APC’s reply to his defence, asking the court to
remove some paragraphs in the plaintiffs’ statement of reply.

But in a ruling delivered on December 2, the presiding judge,
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, dismissed the governor’s motion.

Governor Obaseki subsequently appealed the judgement, causing
the judge to suspend the case at the lower court indefinitely.

The appellate court has ordered the governor to return to the
lower court for the continuous hearing of the suit against him.