Lagos Bye-Election: APC sues PDP’s Gbadamosi over certificate forgery
The party said the number of subjects the PDP candidate allegedly sat for “is different from the number of subjects he sat for as contained on the website of WAEC”.
Ahead of the December 5, Lagos East senatorial bye-election, the All Progressives Congress (APC), dragged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Babatunde Gbadamosi before a Federal High Court, Ikoyi.
The APC Lagos chapter accused the PDP flagbearer of alleged perjury and falsification of certificates.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed Saturday December 5 for the poll
Gbadamosi, 53, is the Chairman of Redbrick Homes International Limited, developers of Amen Estate in Ibeju Lekki.
APC counsels, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) and Kemi Balogun (SAN) filed the suit on Monday.
They asked the court to disqualify Gbadamosi from contesting the bye-election.
In the legal action against him and INEC, the ruling party provided documents to prove its case.
In the Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1659/2020, APC averred that it compared the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate Gbadamosi submitted to INEC with his certificate obtained from the WAEC official website.
The plaintiff claimed it discovered certain discrepancies in the certificates, which suggests that the WAEC certificate Gbadamosi tendered to INEC might have been falsified.
Listing its observations, the party said the number of subjects the PDP candidate allegedly sat for “is different from the number of subjects he sat for as contained on the website of WAEC”.
“Also, the grades he claims to have received via the certificate are different from that contained on the official website of WAEC.”
APC noted that the certificate Gbadamosi presented revealed that the PDP candidate only sat for five subjects: English Language with A3 grade, Literature in English C5; History C5; Commerce C4 and Biology P7.
“However, details of Gbadamosi’s result obtained from WAEC’s official website revealed that the PDP candidate for eight subjects in which he had F-9 in Bible Knowledge; F-9 in Economics; F-9 in Mathematics; A-3 English Language; C-5 in Literature in English; C-5 in History; C-4 in Commerce and P-7 Biology.”
The APC added that the PDP candidate’s insistence that he attended Lagos State University after obtaining his WAEC certificate in 1985 was suspicious “because he did not meet requirements for admission in the university”.
Aside stopping him from contesting the December 5 election, the plaintiff prayed the court to disqualify Gbadamosi “from contesting future elections in view of the falsified certificate he presented to the INEC”.
On Forms EC9 and CF001 the candidate tendered to INEC, APC avowed that he made false declarations on oath regarding his work experience, educational qualifications and others.
APC purported that Gbadamosi did not participate in the one year mandatory National Youth Service (NYSC).
“Making false declarations on oath and failure to participate in the mandatory national service are offences under our several criminal laws”, the suit maintained.