Appeal Court Throws Out Obaseki Application On Alleged Forgery

An application filed by Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, for a stay of proceedings in the certificate forgery case against him has been dismissed by the court of appeal.

Eko Hot Blog had reported on Tuesday how a federal high court sitting in Abuja suspended hearing of the alleged forgery case indefinitely over the stay of proceeding application before the appellate court yet to be ruled on as at the time.

The trial court said it could not rule on a case that’s pending before a higher court.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and a chieftain of the party, Williams Edobor, had filed a suit against Obaseki, accusing him of altering and forging the first degree certificate which he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that allowed him vie for the election.

They also averred that there are discrepancies in the subject Obaseki claimed he passed in his West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exam.

The governor had prayed the trial court to halt the case indefinitely, on the grounds that he had filed an application at the appellate court.

Through his counsel, Ken Mozia (SAN), he had challenged the competence and strength of APC’s reply to his defence.

He implored the court to expunge some paragraphs in the plaintiffs’ statement of reply.

But in a ruling on December 2, 2020, the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, dismissed the governor’s motion.

Subsequently, Obaseki approached the appellate court to appeal the judgement, a move that forced the judge hand to suspend the case at the lower court Indefinitely.

At the hearing of Obaseki’s application on Wednesday, the appellate court declined the government request to stay proceeding.

It ordered the governor to return to the lower court for continuation of proceedings of the suit against him.