The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Wednesday, August 12, has spoken about the running mate of the candidate of the APC in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State, Gani Audu, who embroiled in a certificate forgery case.
Recall that the Action Democratic Party (ADP) had instituted a court case at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking the court to disqualify the candidate of the APC as result of the defective certificates of his running mate.
The ADP said the documents that Audu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show discrepancies in his academic qualifications and other means of identification.
The ADP is asking the court to rule that certificates submitted by Audu are forged and that he was not fit to stand for the September 19 governorship election in Edo.
In the documents, while Gani Audu swore to an affidavit submitted to INEC with his name as Audu Abudu Ganiyu, his other documents bear different names.
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A legal expert, Mr Blessed Omonuwa, who assessed the documents, said, “While his name on the affidavit is Audu Abudu Ganiyu, in his voter’s card, his name is Audu Abdul Ganiyu. Likewise, in his APC membership card, his name appears as Gani Audu. The WASSCE/GCE certificate he submitted bears Audu Ahudu Ganeyu.”
But APC has denied that Abudu Ganiyu gave false information to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to aid his qualification for the Governorship Election Scheduled for 19″ September, 2020.
The party wishes to categorically state that nothing can be farther from the truth.
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In a statement released on Wednesday by the party’s Chairman Legal Team Electoral Committee, Dr Ehiogie WEST-Idahosa, saying, the name of description of Abudu Ganiyu Audu contained on his educational qualifications submitted to INEC for the said election correctly belongs to him and in some cases are abbreviations or synonyms of his name.
The Party said “Our attention has been drawn to the recent outlandish, malicious, false narrative deliberately circulated in mainstream and social media to the effect that Mallam Abudu Ganiyu Audu gave false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to aid his qualification for the Governorship Election Scheduled for 19th September, 2020.
“We wish to categorically state that nothing can be farther from the truth.
“The name description of Abudu Ganiyu Audu contained on his educational qualifications submitted to INEC for the said election correctly belongs to him and in some cases are abbreviations or synonyms of his name.
“Even at that, those abbreviations and synonyms have been validly reconciled with his name vide the appropriate instruments duly issued by the relevant Court as prescribed by the Supreme Court in Appeal No.sC/1/2020, PDP VS. EREMIENYO & 3 ORS.
“Those who have been busy in peddling these false stories should turn their attention to the PDP Governorship and Deputy Governorship Candidates who have pending Suits No. FHC/B/CS/74/2020 and FHC/B/CS/75/2020 challenging their qualification to contest the said Governorship Election for presenting glaringly forged documents to INEC to aid their qualification to contest the said election.
“This is for the information of the General Public”.
