The sudden illness of Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed stalled Thursday’s hearing in the alleged certificate forgery suit instituted against Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The APC and one of its chieftains, Williams Edobor had dragged the governor, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking Obaseki’s disqualification in the September 19 governorship election over alleged certificate forgery and perjury.
They specifically accused Governor Obaseki of forging his Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies degree he submitted to INEC in aid of his qualification for the last governorship election in Edo State.
The judge had on Wednesday adjourned the hearing for the cross-examination of the fourth plaintiffs’ witness, Raphael Onwuzuligbo, a retired police officer, who claimed to be a forensic document examiner.
However, the hearing which was initially fixed for 12 noon did not commence until about 2 pm.
Justice Mohammed while apologising for the delay explained that he had a “severe attack of malaria” and as such would not be able to go the full hub of the day’s proceedings.
Following the agreement of parties in the suit, the judge then adjourned the hearing till January 4, 2021.
The plaintiffs had at the previous proceedings tendered two additional documents to prove their allegation of certificate forgery against Obaseki.
The two documents which included a University of Ibadan degree certificate, belonging to Professor Emmanuel Balogun and a report by Onwuzuligbo, were admitted in evidence by the court after they were tendered through APC’s lawyer, Akin Olujimi.
The first-degree certificate in agricultural science tendered was awarded to Balogun in 1979, the same year as that of the Edo governor.
However, Obaseki’s lead counsel, Ken Mozia (SAN), while speaking with reporters after adjournment, displayed the original Bachelor of Arts Degree Certificate of the University of Ibadan (UI), awarded in 1979.
The UI had confirmed that Obaseki was a student of the institution.
Obaseki graduated from the institution in 1979 with a Second Class Honours (Lower Division).
This was confirmed in a statement by the university’s Registrar, Mrs Olubunmi Faluyi, who said that Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, studied Classics.
The statement also revealed that the Governor gained admission to the university in 1976.
“Records of his admission and graduation are intact in the archives of the university.” the statement said.”
The plaintiffs are arguing that the certificate Obaseki presented to INEC was fake.
On Thursday, Justice Mohammed announced that he had “severe attack of malaria” and would not be able to go the full hub of the day’s proceedings.
The plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Akin Olujimi (SAN), on behalf of others, empathized with the judge.
He did not oppose the suggestion by Mozia, Razak Isenalumhe and Sulaiman Dambaba, lawyers to Obaseki, PDP and INEC, that the matter be adjourned until Monday January 4, 2021.
The case was filed on July 14, and by the constitutional provisions of 180 days for pre-election matters, hearing timeframe will lapse on January 13, 2020
