Alleged Certificate Forgery: Obaseki Knows Fate Saturday

…Court fixes judgment for 12 noon

A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled judgement for
Saturday at 12noon in the alleged certificate forgery case brought
against Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State by the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and a member of the party, Edobor
Williams.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed chose the time and date on Thursday after
lawyers to parties adopted their final written addresses.

Lawyers to Obaseki (named as the first defendant), Ken Mozia
(SAN) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – the second
defendant – Razaq Isenalumhe, after adopting their final written
addresses, urged the court to dismiss the suit.

While Mozia also urged the court to hold that the plaintiff
failed woefully to prove their case, Isenalumhe equally further
prayed the court to award substantial cost against the
plaintiffs.

Lawyer to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
Murktar Bawa said: “We did not file any process in this suit and
has consistently remained neutral.

“We urge the court to decide the case one way or the other in
accordance with the processes before the court.”

In the suit marked: FHC/B/CS/74/2020, the plaintiffs want the
court to, among others; disqualify Obaseki as the candidate of the
PDP in the last governorship election in Edo State.

They alleged that the governor forged his first-degree
certificate; he claimed to have obtained it from the University of
Ibadan (UI) in 1979 and which he submitted to INEC as part of his
educational qualification.

The plaintiffs claimed that a photocopy of the degree
certificate attached to the nomination form Obaseki submitted to
INEC did not contain the signature of the Registrar of the
university and the date the certificate was issued.

But, Obaseki explained that the Registrar’s signature and the
date of the issue were cut off from the photocopies of his
certificate submitted to INEC because the person, who made the
photocopy, used a smaller size paper, an A4 paper, which was
smaller than the size of the original certificate.

The plaintiffs called six witnesses in all, and tendered
documents in support of their case, while Obaseki called three
witnesses to support his case.

The PDP and INEC did not call any witnesses.

…Court fixes judgment for 12 noon

A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled judgement for
Saturday at 12noon in the alleged certificate forgery case brought
against Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State by the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and a member of the party, Edobor
Williams.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed chose the time and date on Thursday after
lawyers to parties adopted their final written addresses.

Lawyers to Obaseki (named as the first defendant), Ken Mozia
(SAN) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – the second
defendant – Razaq Isenalumhe, after adopting their final written
addresses, urged the court to dismiss the suit.

While Mozia also urged the court to hold that the plaintiff
failed woefully to prove their case, Isenalumhe equally further
prayed the court to award substantial cost against the
plaintiffs.

Lawyer to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
Murktar Bawa said: “We did not file any process in this suit and
has consistently remained neutral.

“We urge the court to decide the case one way or the other in
accordance with the processes before the court.”

In the suit marked: FHC/B/CS/74/2020, the plaintiffs want the
court to, among others; disqualify Obaseki as the candidate of the
PDP in the last governorship election in Edo State.

They alleged that the governor forged his first-degree
certificate; he claimed to have obtained it from the University of
Ibadan (UI) in 1979 and which he submitted to INEC as part of his
educational qualification.

The plaintiffs claimed that a photocopy of the degree
certificate attached to the nomination form Obaseki submitted to
INEC did not contain the signature of the Registrar of the
university and the date the certificate was issued.

But, Obaseki explained that the Registrar’s signature and the
date of the issue were cut off from the photocopies of his
certificate submitted to INEC because the person, who made the
photocopy, used a smaller size paper, an A4 paper, which was
smaller than the size of the original certificate.

The plaintiffs called six witnesses in all, and tendered
documents in support of their case, while Obaseki called three
witnesses to support his case.

The PDP and INEC did not call any witnesses.