Rivers 2019: Court dismisses certificate forgery suit against Wike

A Federal High Court in Abuja, has dismissed the allegation of birth certificate forgery suit seeking to disqualify Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State from contesting the March 9th governorship election.

The plaintiff, Elvis Chinda, had asked the court to determine whether the birth Certificate (Statutory Declaration of Age) attached to Wike’s Form C.F.001 presented to INEC, was forged.

Counsel to the plaintiff had argued that as at 1986 when the certificate was allegedly obtained, Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas of Rivers was not in existence.

He stressed that the local government in question was created in 1989 by Decree No 12 of 1989, two years after the alleged forgery was committed.

Presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the suit at the was filed out of time, as stipulated by the section 285, subsection 9 the 1999 constitution which ought to be 14 days after the cause of action had taken place.

He further held that the entire suit is statue barred and made an order dismissing the suit as an abuse of court process.