Again, Obaseki overruns Oshiomhole, APC

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has once again overrun the ousted national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and the ruling APC in the power tussle for the control of Edo State. The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday absolved Governor Obaseki in the suit of certificate forgery against him by the APC and the party leaders in Edo State. This legal victory was coming after the victory at the Federal high court which dismissed the suit and upheld the authenticity of the educational documents presented by the Edo State Governor for the 2020 governorship election.

Justice Stephen Adah of the Court if Appeal, in the judegment on Thursday, dismissed the appeal and upheld the judgement of the High court which also dismissed the suit on alleged forgery of degree certificate forgery of the University of Ibadan against Governor Obaseki by the APC.

The appeal court held that the suit by the APC lacks merit, therefore, awarded N250,000 cost against the appellant.

Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, had in his judgement on January 9, 2021, dismissed the case of university certificate forgery by Edo State APC against governor Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed had in the judegment, declared that the APC’s allegation was strange, relating it a story of an outsider telling a man in his house that he is not the father of a child.

Justice Stephen Adah of the Court of Appeal maintained that the Federal High Court, Abuja, was right in its findings and conclusion on the suit by the APC.

Justice Adah admitted the explanation of the Deputy Registrar, Abayomi Ajayi, who confirmed that the governor was a student of the University of Ibadan in 1976 and fulfilled the requirement for admission to study Classics.

The judge held that the evidence of the Deputy Registrar was direct in clarifying that Obaseki did not forge any certificate he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for clearance for the 2020 governorship election in Edo State.

The appellate court, therefore, held that Governor Obaseki fulfilled all requirements to contest the governorship election in Edo State, insisting that the Obaseki did not violate section 182 of the Constitution.

Justice Adah maintained that the APC failed to prove the certificate forgery case, noting that the appeal lacks merit and, therefore, dismissed suit, warding N250, 000 cost against APC to be paid to Governor Obaseki; and another N50,000 each against APC to be paid to the PDP and INEC

Obaseki defeated Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, APC candidate in the November 2020 governorship election.