Supreme Court Dismisses Certificate Forgery Suit Against Obaseki
The Supreme Court has dismissed the certificate forgery suit filed against the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It was filed against Governor Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Delivering judgment in the case, a five-man panel of the apex court said the suit lacked merit and also
awarded a punitive fine of N1 million against the APC and its co-appellant.
The apex court’s judgement comes two days after the Court of Appeal in Benin upheld the victory of Governor Obaseki of Edo at the 2020 governorship election.
The judgement was however delivered barely two months after the Elections Petitions Tribunal struck out the
petition by the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its governorship candidate, Iboi Lucky.
Mr. Obaseki was also seeking a second term in office on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election. He later won the election and has since been sworn in for his second and final lap in office.
ADP had challenged the outcome of the September 19, 2020, governorship election, which returned Mr. Obaseki of the PDP as governor of Edo.
Claiming that Mr Obaseki forged his certificates including his university degree certificate tendered for the election,
the plaintiffs had asked the court to disqualify him as the governorship candidate of the PDP in the poll.
However, In its ruling, the appellate court held that Obaseki did not forge his certificates with which he contested the 2020 governorship election.
The court, therefore, dismissed the appeal filed by the ADP and its candidate.
By Victoria E.I
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