[UPDATED] Alleged Certificate Forgery: Court Dismisses Suit Against Gov. Obaseki

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the alleged
certificate forgery suit filed against the governor of Edo State,
Godwin Obaseki.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed while delivering judgment in the alleged
certificate forgery suit filed by the APC against the governor said
that the APC failed to prove the forgery allegation beyond
reasonable doubt.

He held that despite that the allegation of forgery was criminal
in nature and required to be proved beyond reasonable doubt, the
plaintiffs failed to bring any evidence not to talk of proving the
allegation beyond reasonable doubt.

“The evidence of the plaintiffs is at variance with their
allegations,” the judge said.

He said contrary to the plaintiffs’ claim, the representative of
University of Ibadan confirmed Mr Obaseki was duly admitted to UI
and that the copy of the certificate he presented was genuine.

He said the concession of the plaintiffs’ witnesses that they
did not bother to go to the University of Ibadan or any of the
institution that they claimed Mr Obaseki forged their certificates,
was enough to let the case to rest.

He ruled, “Having thoroughly analysed the evidence of this case,
it is the conclusion of this court that plaintiff did not forge his
O’Level Certificate, his HSC certificate, and particularly his
University of Ibadan degree certificate.

“Accordingly the plaintiffs’ case is dismissed with not order as
to cost.”

The APC and Edobor had filed the suit alleging that Governor
Obaseki presented a forged certificate to seek re-election in the
Edo State governorship election held on September 19, 2020.

According to the plaintiffs, the said document was purportedly
issued by the University of Ibadan, while the governor presented
same to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which
conducted the poll.

Before Justice Mohammed delivered the judgement in the suit,
counsels to both parties in the matter had closed their cases after
they presented witnesses and evidence to the court.

During proceedings on Thursday, lawyer to the Plaintiffs, Akin
Olujimi, adopted his final written address.

He urged the court to affirm their position that the governor
presented a forged certificate to the electoral umpire and was
unfit to occupy the office.

This was, however, rejected by Governor Obaseki’s counsel, Ken
Mozia, who asked the court to dismiss the suit over what he
described as the plaintiff’s failure to prove their case.

A Dramatic Switch, Yet Same Result
Governor Obaseki contested and won the governorship election on the
platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a bid to extend
his stay in office by another four years.

Although he was elected into office for the first term on the
APC platform, the governor later defected from the party after he
was screened out from the party’s primary which saw Mr Osagie
Ize-Iyamu emerging as the APC flagbearer for the election.

This came in the middle of a lingered dispute between the
governor and his predecessor and immediate past APC National
Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

After defecting from the APC, he got the PDP’s ticket and went
ahead to defeat Ize-Iyamu for the second time to claim the
governorship seat in what can be described as a dramatic switch of
political parties.

Governor Obaseki had defeated Ize-Iyamu as the APC candidate in
the 2016 governorship election while the latter was the PDP
candidate.

Four years later, he secured 307,955 of the total votes, 84,336
more votes than Ize-Iyamu who got 223, 619 votes.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the alleged
certificate forgery suit filed against the governor of Edo State,
Godwin Obaseki.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed while delivering judgment in the alleged
certificate forgery suit filed by the APC against the governor said
that the APC failed to prove the forgery allegation beyond
reasonable doubt.

He held that despite that the allegation of forgery was criminal
in nature and required to be proved beyond reasonable doubt, the
plaintiffs failed to bring any evidence not to talk of proving the
allegation beyond reasonable doubt.

“The evidence of the plaintiffs is at variance with their
allegations,” the judge said.

He said contrary to the plaintiffs’ claim, the representative of
University of Ibadan confirmed Mr Obaseki was duly admitted to UI
and that the copy of the certificate he presented was genuine.

He said the concession of the plaintiffs’ witnesses that they
did not bother to go to the University of Ibadan or any of the
institution that they claimed Mr Obaseki forged their certificates,
was enough to let the case to rest.

He ruled, “Having thoroughly analysed the evidence of this case,
it is the conclusion of this court that plaintiff did not forge his
O’Level Certificate, his HSC certificate, and particularly his
University of Ibadan degree certificate.

“Accordingly the plaintiffs’ case is dismissed with not order as
to cost.”

The APC and Edobor had filed the suit alleging that Governor
Obaseki presented a forged certificate to seek re-election in the
Edo State governorship election held on September 19, 2020.

According to the plaintiffs, the said document was purportedly
issued by the University of Ibadan, while the governor presented
same to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which
conducted the poll.

Before Justice Mohammed delivered the judgement in the suit,
counsels to both parties in the matter had closed their cases after
they presented witnesses and evidence to the court.

During proceedings on Thursday, lawyer to the Plaintiffs, Akin
Olujimi, adopted his final written address.

He urged the court to affirm their position that the governor
presented a forged certificate to the electoral umpire and was
unfit to occupy the office.

This was, however, rejected by Governor Obaseki’s counsel, Ken
Mozia, who asked the court to dismiss the suit over what he
described as the plaintiff’s failure to prove their case.

A Dramatic Switch, Yet Same Result
Governor Obaseki contested and won the governorship election on the
platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a bid to extend
his stay in office by another four years.

Although he was elected into office for the first term on the
APC platform, the governor later defected from the party after he
was screened out from the party’s primary which saw Mr Osagie
Ize-Iyamu emerging as the APC flagbearer for the election.

This came in the middle of a lingered dispute between the
governor and his predecessor and immediate past APC National
Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

After defecting from the APC, he got the PDP’s ticket and went
ahead to defeat Ize-Iyamu for the second time to claim the
governorship seat in what can be described as a dramatic switch of
political parties.

Governor Obaseki had defeated Ize-Iyamu as the APC candidate in
the 2016 governorship election while the latter was the PDP
candidate.

Four years later, he secured 307,955 of the total votes, 84,336
more votes than Ize-Iyamu who got 223, 619 votes.