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FORGERY ALLEGATIONS: Abuja court refuses to disqualify Wike

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Fresh headache for Wike, Ganduje as PPP asks tribunal nullify their elections

The Governor of Rivers State Nyesome Wike has been given a clean bill of health to contest today’s governorship election, after an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Friday, declined to disqualify him from the polls.

Wike had been embroiled in a running battle over allegations that he tendered forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the elections.

The suit marked FHC / ABJ /CS /1430/2018, was lodged before the court by one Mr. Elvis Chinda and cited as defendants in the matter were INEC, Wike, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Read also: APC’s Omo-Agege narrowly secures Senatorial re-election

While in court, the plaintiff, told the court that the certificate titled “Statutory Declaration of Age”, attached to Wike’s Form C.F.001, and purportedly deposed to on October 3, 1986, by one Collins Nyeme Wike had claimed that Nyesom Wike at the time of deposition, was a native of Rumuepirikom in Obio / Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

However, the court, in a judgment that was delivered by Justice Iyang Ekwo, dismissed the suit on the premise that the plaintiff failed to prove the allegation beyond reasonable doubt.

The court held that the allegation, being quasi-criminal in nature, ought to be proved beyond every reasonable doubt, a burden it said the plaintiff failed to discharge against Wike.

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