Edo Primary: Obaseki embroiled in UI certificate forgery allegation

Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki forged the degree certificate he attached to his form CF001 he submitted to INEC for his first term in 2016, three of his party men have alleged before an Abuja high court.

Edobor Williams, Ugesia Godwin and Amedu Anakhu filed the suit on May 29.

But rather than ask for the removal of the governor, the complainants prayed the court to disqualify him for the next primary on June 22 which the APC governor is contesting with others in the lead up to the September guber election.

According to their suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/553/2020, the certificate which he attached to his Form CF.001 and the information he provided in Part C of the form in 2016, when he claimed he obtained a BA in classical studies from the University of Ibadan were not original

Obaseki, they argued, was therefore “not qualified to run or seek the office of Governor of Edo State under the platform of the 1st defendant (APC) in the governorship election scheduled to hold in the state on September 19, 2020”.

Joined as respondents to the suit were the governors’ party, the All Progressives Congress, the Inspector-General of Police and Obaseki himself.

No date for hearing is set yet.

The ruling APC have called for a direct primary model for the primary election, and has called for public scrutiny of its candidates’ particulars they submitted for INEC screening.

Many believe the eleventh our reveal might not be unconnected with the deepening rift between the governor and his predecessor and national chairman Adams Oshiomhole.

The internal wrangling has split the party into pieces, largely between Obaseki and Oshiomhole who is fronting for a PDP walk-in Osagie Ize-Iyamu.