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Appeal Court clears Obaseki in certificate forgery case

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The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed the alleged certificate forgery suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

The court dismissed the suit for lack of merit and awarded N250, 000 cost in favour of Obaseki.

It also awarded N50,000 each in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja had on January 9, dismissed the alleged certificate forgery suit against the governor.

The judge had described the APC’s allegation as strange, saying it was “like an outsider telling a man in his house that he is not the father of a child.”

Dissatisfied with the ruling, the APC approached the appellate court to quash the judgment.

Justice Stephen Adah, who delivered the lead judgment, upheld the lower court’s ruling.

READ ALSO: Obaseki advocates upward review of 13% derivation formula for oil-producing states

He said the court was right in its findings and conclusions on the matter.

Justice Adah upheld the testimony of the Deputy Registrar, Legal, University of Ibadan, Mr. Abayomi Ajayi, who confirmed that Obaseki attended the university and fulfilled the requirement for admission to study Classical Studies in 1976.

He said Ajayi’s evidence confirmed that the governor did not forge the certificate he submitted to INEC ahead of last year’s governorship election in Edo State.

The appellate court held that the appeal was unmeritorious because APC failed to prove the certificate forgery allegation against Obaseki.

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