Alleged Forgery: Obaseki Presents Original UI Certificate In Court

The original Bachelor of Arts Degree Certificate awarded to Edo governor, Godwin Obaseki, in 1979 by University of Ibadan (UI), surfaced in court on Thursday.

Obaseki’s lead counsel, Ken Mozia (SAN), displayed the certificate while speaking with reporters after adjournment.

Ekohotblog, however, gathered that the hearing in the alleged certificate forgery suit instituted against the governor by the All Progressives Congress (APC) was adjourned after Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed became sick.

The UI had, in June, confirmed that Obaseki was a student of the institution.

Olubunmi Faluyi, the Registrar, in a statement, noted that the governor gained admission in 1976 and studied Classics.

Dissatisfied by UI claim, The All Progressives Congress (APC) and a chieftain, Williams Edobor, sued Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The plaintiffs submit that the certificate Obaseki presented to INEC was not authentic.

The judge had on Wednesday adjourned hearing for the cross-examination of the fourth plaintiffs’ witness, Raphael Onwuzuligbo, a retired Police officer and forensic examiner.

On Thursday, Justice Mohammed dislosed that he had “severe attack of malaria” hence not physically fit and medically sound to withstand the rigours 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.

Read Also: Alleged Forgery: APC Presents More Evidence Against Obaseki

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, 2020g