News
Judge’s ill-health stalls hearing in Obaseki’s alleged certificate forgery case
Justice Ahmed Mohammed’s ill-health stalled the hearing in the alleged certificate forgery case involving the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) filed the case and asked the court to order the governor’s removal for alleged certificate forgery.
The party claimed that Obaseki was not qualified to participate in the September 19 governorship election in Edo over the same reason.
APC specifically accused the governor of forging the Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies degree he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the election.
Justice Mohammed had on Wednesday adjourned the hearing in the case till Thursday for cross examination of the fourth witness brought by the plaintiffs, Mr. Raphael Onwuzuligbo, a retired police officer.
However, hearing which was fixed for 12noon did not commence until about 2:00 p.m. and the judge apologised, saying he had a severe malaria attack.
READ ALSO: Court admits documents in Obaseki’s alleged certificate forgery case
Justice Mohammed said he would not be able to go on with the complete proceedings of the day.
The APC counsel, Mr. Akin Olujimi (SAN), responded on behalf of other counsel and empathized with the judge.
He stressed that the judge’s health was of great importance to all.
Olujimi did not also oppose the suggestion by Mr. Ken Mozia, (SAN), Mr. Razak Isenalumhe and Mr. Sulaiman Dambaba, counsel to Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and INEC that the matter be adjourned till January 4, 2021.
The APC had in July disqualified Obaseki from participating in its governorship primaries over alleged discrepancies in his certificates
He later switched to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and secured the party’s governorship ticket for the election.
Obaseki was re-elected for another term of four years after he defeated the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, in the election.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...