By Sir Ralph Okhiria
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Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki of Edo State, has once again triumphed and disgraced his political detractors and enemies.
Like the governorship election held in the state on September 19, 2020, not a few thought the governor will survive the highly celebrated University of Ibadan (UI) fake certificate scandal.
Therefore, when on Saturday, January 9, this year the Federal High Court in Abuja, dismissed the certificate forgery case the All Progressives Congress, APC, and one of its members, Mr. Williams Edobor, instituted against him, the entire Edo State erupted in jubilation in favour of the beloved governor.
In the suit marked FHC/B/CS/74/2020, the Plaintiffs equally alleged that there were discrepancies in the subjects that Obaseki claimed he passed in his West African Examination Council (WAEC) exam and subjects in his testimonial.
They, among other things, prayed the court to declare that Obaseki’s claim in his INEC form EC9 at column C, sworn to on June 29, 2020 at the Federal Capital Territory High Court Registry to the effect that he obtained from the University of Ibadan in 1979, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classical Studies, is false and contrary to Section 31 (5) and (6) of the Electoral Act, 2010.
As well as an order declaring that Obaseki lied on oath when he swore to an affidavit on June 29, 2020, that he worked in Afrinvest Limited from 1994 to 2014 when he retired.
The Plaintiffs urged the court to not only invalidate Obaseki’s candidacy but to also restrain INEC from recognising him as a contestant in the gubernatorial contest.
The INEC was listed as the 3rd Defendant in the matter.
In a judgment that was delivered by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, the court held that the Plaintiffs, failed to by way of credible evidence, discharge the burden of proof placed on them by the law.
Justice Mohammed said there was no iota of evidence before the court to establish that Obaseki forged the degree certificate that was awarded to him in 1979 by the University of Ibadan.
He said the allegation of forgery the Plaintiffs levelled against Governor Obaseki bordered on crime and therefore required to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to him, “It is quite known that he who alleges must prove. The burden is on the Plaintiffs to lead credible evidence to indeed prove that the 1st Defendant presented forged certificates to INEC.
“None of the witnesses called by the Plaintiffs was able to prove that the certificate was forged.
“In fact, the witnesses admitted that none of them visited the University of Ibadan to confirm the authenticity of the certificate.
“The Plaintiffs only relied on photocopies that were attached to the Form EC9 the 1st Defendant (Obaseki) submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission”, the court noted.
He stated that apparent discrepancies in the documents Obaseki submitted to INEC, had been satisfactorily explained, noting that all the witnesses were in agreement that when the original document is photocopied with an A4-sized paper, some information would be cut off.
The court noted that the evidence of witnesses Obaseki produced in the course of the hearing, especially that of the Deputy Registrar Legal Officer of the University of Ibadan, Mr. Abayomi Samuel Ajayi, were reliable.
The Judge held that the UI Legal Officer had “successfully put to rest the issue of whether or not the embattled governor graduated or was awarded a degree certificate by the school.
The court further held that for the Plaintiffs to insist that Obaseki forged his certificate, even after the school confirmed the genuity of the document, was akin to alleging that someone has no father, even in the presence of the person’s father.
The suit was Consequently dismissed, without awarding cost against the Plaintiffs.
Recall that the APC had in the suit it jointly filed with one of its members in Edo, Mr. Edobor, alleged that Obaseki forged the University of Ibadan degree certificate he submitted to INEC in aid of his qualification for the governorship election that held in Edo state on September 19, 2020.
But expectedly, while most Edolites were partying in celebration of Governor Obasek’s victory, chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, Col David Imuse RTD, has said that the party will appeal ruling by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Imuse, while reacting to the judgement, said the party’s legal team would immediately move to study the judgement and file an appeal.
He expressed hope that the judiciary will remain upright and always ensure that the will of the people and rule of law prevail.
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