Appeal Court Dismisses APC’s Challenge Of Obaseki’s Academic Qualification

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by
the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the January 9, 2021
judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja affirming the
authenticity of the academic certificates presented by Edo Governor
Godwin Obaseki.

In a judgment on Thursday, a three-man panel of the court, led
by Justice Stephen Adah, was unanimous in upholding the argument by
Obaseki’s legal team, led by Ken Mozia (SAN) that the appeal by the
APC and one of its members, was without merit.

The judgment was on the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/71/2021 filed
by the APC and Edobor Williams.

The Court of Appeal held that the Federal High Court, in its
judgment by Justice Ahmed Mohammed was right to have held the APC
failed to discharge the burden of proving its claim that Obaseki
presented a forged certificate to the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the last governorship
election in Edo State.

In upholding the judgment of the Federal High Court, the Appeal
Court further held that the judgment by Justice Mohammed was
without any ambiguity and that the APC failed in proving its
case.

“The findings of the lower court cannot be faulted,” it held and
proceeded to award N250, 000 costs in favour of Obaseki, and N50,
000 each for his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) and INEC.

At the Federal High Court, the APC and Williams had claimed, in
the suit marked: FHC/B/CS/74/2020, that Obaseki forged his West
African School Certificate O/level and A/level, and the
first-degree certificate from the University of Ibadan (UI), which
he submitted to the Independent National electoral Commission
(INEC) in his bid to contest the September 19, 2020 governorship
election.

In his judgment on January 9, 2021, Justice Mohammed said a
“fundamental flaw in the case of the plaintiffs is that while the
plaintiffs alleged forgery against the first defendant (Obaseki),
the evidence they brought was completely at variance with the
allegation.”

He found as lazy, the attitude of the plaintiffs, who did not
make any efforts to cross-check from the University of Ibadan (UI)
and the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the two
institutions that issued the certificates they claimed Obaseki
forged.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by
the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the January 9, 2021
judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja affirming the
authenticity of the academic certificates presented by Edo Governor
Godwin Obaseki.

In a judgment on Thursday, a three-man panel of the court, led
by Justice Stephen Adah, was unanimous in upholding the argument by
Obaseki’s legal team, led by Ken Mozia (SAN) that the appeal by the
APC and one of its members, was without merit.

The judgment was on the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/71/2021 filed
by the APC and Edobor Williams.

The Court of Appeal held that the Federal High Court, in its
judgment by Justice Ahmed Mohammed was right to have held the APC
failed to discharge the burden of proving its claim that Obaseki
presented a forged certificate to the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the last governorship
election in Edo State.

In upholding the judgment of the Federal High Court, the Appeal
Court further held that the judgment by Justice Mohammed was
without any ambiguity and that the APC failed in proving its
case.

“The findings of the lower court cannot be faulted,” it held and
proceeded to award N250, 000 costs in favour of Obaseki, and N50,
000 each for his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) and INEC.

At the Federal High Court, the APC and Williams had claimed, in
the suit marked: FHC/B/CS/74/2020, that Obaseki forged his West
African School Certificate O/level and A/level, and the
first-degree certificate from the University of Ibadan (UI), which
he submitted to the Independent National electoral Commission
(INEC) in his bid to contest the September 19, 2020 governorship
election.

In his judgment on January 9, 2021, Justice Mohammed said a
“fundamental flaw in the case of the plaintiffs is that while the
plaintiffs alleged forgery against the first defendant (Obaseki),
the evidence they brought was completely at variance with the
allegation.”

He found as lazy, the attitude of the plaintiffs, who did not
make any efforts to cross-check from the University of Ibadan (UI)
and the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the two
institutions that issued the certificates they claimed Obaseki
forged.