Court to rule on Obaseki’s alleged certificate forgery case Saturday

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday fixed January 9 for ruling on the alleged certificate forgery suit involving the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) had dragged the governor to court after it accused him of forging his certificate ahead of last year’s governorship election in Edo State.

The party asked the court to order Obaseki’s removal as governor for allegedly forging his university degree certificate.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed had on Wednesday adjourned proceedings till Thursday for parties to adopt their final written addresses on the matter.

The parties are the APC, Mr. William Edobor, Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

When the matter was called on Thursday, the governor’s counsel, Mr. Ken Mozia (SAN), told the court that the business for the day was for parties to adopt their final written addresses.

Mozia said he had received the plaintiffs’ 39-page final written address.

“We adopt both written addresses and premised on the arguments set out therein, we urge the court to make a firm determination that the plaintiffs woefully failed to prove their case,” he said.

Mozia urged the court to dismiss the case.

Counsel to the APC, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), also adopted his written address as his final argument in the matter and urged the court to grant the claims sought by his client.

Justice Mohammed adjourned the matter till January 9 for the ruling.

The APC stopped Obaseki from participating in its governorship primaries in July last year over alleged discrepancies in his certificates.

He later switched to PDP and secured the party’s ticket to contest the governorship election held on September 19 last year.

Obaseki was re-elected for another term of four years after he defeated the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, in the election.