The All Progressives Congress (APC) has opened its case of alleged certificate forgery against Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The case opened on Thursday before Justice Ahmed Mohammed.
This follows after Obaseki’s failed attempts to have the court, as well as the Court of Appeal, to stay the hearing pending the determination of an appeal he had filed regarding the case.
The Court of Appeal siting in Abuja ruled that pre-election cases, just like the one brought against Obaseki, were time-bound and as such, could not be stayed based on an interlocutory appeal.
The suit, which implored the court to disqualify Obaseki as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last governorship election in the Edo State, was filed by The APC and one of its members, Mr Williams Edobor.
The two anchored their law suit on the basis that Obaseki allegedly forged a University of Ibadan degree certificate which he used in securing his candidacy in the last election.
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The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were the other defendants sued.
Counsel to the APC, Mr Akin Olujinmi (SAN), on Thursday, called his first witness, Prof. Omoregie Edobo, a Professor of Law at the University of Benin.
Edobo, during cross-examination by Obaseki’s lawyer, Mr Ken Mozia (SAN), and the counsel for the PDP, Mr Razaq Isenalohme, informed the court that he was unaware that Obaseki had obtained a degree certificate from the University of Ibadan.
The Professor of Law claimed to have seen the photocopies of Obaseki’s certificate countless times.
He, therefore, alleged that Obaseki presented a fake certificate supposedly issued by the University of Ibadan.
INEC’s counsel, Mr M.A Bawa, had no further questions for the witness.
Justice Mohammed adjourned the matter till the 29th of December for further hearing.
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