Certificate Forgery: Supreme Court dismisses APC’s appeal against Obaseki

 

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the election of Mr. Godwin Obaseki as Edo State governor, on allegation of certificate forgery.

The apex court in a unanimous judgment on Friday held that the appellants failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the Supreme Court held that the APC and its chieftain, Edobor Williams, failed to prove the allegation of certificate forgery against Governor Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The apex court held that the appellants failed to provide evidence that the school, the University of Ibadan, disclaimed the certificate issued to Obaseki in 1979.

The court agreed with the lower courts that the appellants did not meet sufficient requirement of the law in proving their allegations.

READ: Obaseki triumphs! Buries Oshiomhole, godfatherism in Edo State

READ: EDO ELECTION: Ize-Iyamu accepts defeat, questions Obaseki’s eligibility

Accordingly, the Supreme Court upheld two judgments of the Court of Appeal, Abuja and the Federal High Court, Abuja, which had earlier dismissed the case of the appellants for lacking merit.

In addition, it awarded a cost of N1 million against the appellants.

The APC and Edobor filed the action alleging that Obaseki forged the degree certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in aid of his qualification for the September 19 governorship election in Edo State.

They had, therefore, appealed to the apex court to disqualify Obaseki and his party, from contesting the September 19, 2020 governorship election.