Supreme Court Dismisses APC’s Certificate Forgery Suit Against Obaseki

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Supreme Court Dismisses APC’s Certificate Forgery Suit Against ObasekiSupreme Court has on Friday dismissed the certificate forgery suit filed against Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State by All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court dismissed the suit for lack of merit two days after Court of Appeal in Benin upheld the victory of Governor Obaseki of Edo at the 2020 governorship election.

Read Also: Breaking: Obaseki Wins Edo Governorship Election, Bags Another Term In Office

It was filed against Governor Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Delivering judgment in the case, a five-man panel of the apex court said the suit lacked merit and awarded a punitive fine of N100 million against APC and its co-appellant.

Read Also: Court Dismisses APC’s Certificate Forgery Suit Against Obaseki

APC and one of its members, Williams Edobor, commenced the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja before the September 2020 governorship election in Edo State.

Obaseki was seeking a second term in office on the platform of 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.

Read Also: Edo 2020: University Of Ibadan Confirms Obaseki’s Certificate

However, claiming that 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 PDP in the poll.

Delivering his judgment on January 9, the trial judge, Ahmed Mohammed of Federal High Court in Abuja, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit. The APC and his co-plaintiff, however, went on an appeal against the verdict.

The judgement was delivered barely two months after Elections Petitions Tribunal struck out the petition by Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its governorship candidate, Iboi Lucky.

Read Also: Appeal Court Dismisses Certificate Forgery Case Against Obaseki

ADP challenged the outcome of the September 19, 2020, governorship election, which returned Obaseki of the PDP as governor of Edo.

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.

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