Kogi guber poll: PDP’s Wada presented forged certificate, court rules

A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) candidate in the last governorship election in Kogi state, Engineer Musa Wada was not qualified to participate in the exercise.

The court ruled that the PDP candidate had submitted alleged false school certificate in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) forms and submitted to the commission.

Delivering judgement in the case filed by Femi Peter, Justice D.U Okorowo ruled that plaintiff was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the primary school certificate Engr Wada submitted to the INEC was forged.

The judge stated that in proof of his claims, the plaintiff had supplied letters written by both Kwara and Kogi state ministries of education confirming that Wada’s primary school certificate of education was not authentic.

“Consequently, the court pursuant to Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) amongst other reliefs granted, disqualified Musa Atayi Wada from contesting in the 16th November 2019 Kogi state gubernatorial election.

“The essence of this decision is that the PDP did not participate or have a qualified candidate at the 2019 Governorship Election in Kogi state,” he ruled.

Blueprint notes that the suit had sought amongst other prayers an order to disqualify Wada from contesting the election allegedly for presenting false information/false document to INEC.

It was alleged that Musa Wada forged the Certificate of Primary Education which he presented to INEC together with his Form CF001.

It was also alleged that he presented false information on oath when he stated in his Form CF001 submitted to INEC that he had never presented a forged certificate to INEC.

Subsequently, the plaintiff asked the court to disqualify Engr Wada on the grounds that he was not qualified to take part in the election.

The court in its ruling agreed with the petitioner and declared the former ruling party had no candidate in the November 2019 election.

Before now, a Lokoja High Court had ruled that PDP had no candidate in the November 16 governorship election in the state.

Justice John Olorunfemi of the state high court 4 in a ruling had said that the primary election conducted on 3rd September 2019 which produced Engineer Musa Wada as the flag bearer of PDP was fraught with irregularities and cannot be said to be fair enough to produce a candidate.

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