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Tag: Obaseki

  • BREAKING: Court dismisses APC’s certificate forgery case against Obaseki

    BREAKING: Court dismisses APC’s certificate forgery case against Obaseki

    A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the alleged certificate forgery suit filed against the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki.

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed delivered the judgment on Saturday in a suit filed by the All Progressives Party (APC) and a chieftain of the party, Williams Edobor, against the governor.

    The judge also declared Obaseki duly fit to contest the September 2020 governorship election.

    The APC and Edobor had filed the suit alleging that Governor Obaseki presented a forged certificate to seek re-election in the Edo State governorship election held on September 19, 2020.

    According to the plaintiffs, the said document was purportedly issued by the University of Ibadan, while the governor presented same to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which conducted the poll.

    Before Justice Mohammed delivered the judgement in the suit, counsels to both parties in the matter had closed their cases after they presented witnesses and evidence to the court.

    During proceedings on Thursday, lawyer to the Plaintiffs, Akin Olujimi, adopted his final written address.

    He urged the court to affirm their position that the governor presented a forged certificate to the electoral umpire and was unfit to occupy the office.

    This was, however, rejected by Governor Obaseki’s counsel, Ken Mozia, who asked the court to dismiss the suit over what he described as the plaintiff’s failure to prove their case.

  • BREAKING: Obaseki duly qualified to contest Edo Governorship poll, Court rules

    BREAKING: Obaseki duly qualified to contest Edo Governorship poll, Court rules

    The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Saturday declared Governor Godwin Obaseki duly qualified to contest the September 2020 election held in Edo State.

    The suit, which has sparked interests within and outside Edo State, was filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a member of the party, Williams Edobor.

    The plaintiffs accused the governor of forging his Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies certificate which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in support of his nomination as a candidate in the Edo State governorship election and therefore sought his disqualification.

    The governor, who contested and won the September 2020 election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, denied the allegation.

    As at the time of filing this report, the case two have began.

    More details later…

  • UI Registrar confirms Obaseki’s year of entry, graduation; says certificate not forged

    UI Registrar confirms Obaseki’s year of entry, graduation; says certificate not forged

    Mr. Abayomi Ajayi, the deputy registrar, legal of the University of Ibadan on Tuesday testified in the ceritificate forgery case instituted against Governor Godwin Obaseki by the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ajayi took the witness stand and told the Federal High Court Abuja that the fact that some parts of Obaseki’s original degree certificate were missing in the photocopy he attached to his INEC form EC9 and 001 did not amount to forgery.

    The witness, who was led in evidence by Mr Ken Mozia (SAN), Obaseki’s counsel, explained that Obaseki’s photocopy was incomplete due to the process of photocopying.

    The witness also told the court that the university was not dealing with this allegation for the first time as the Minister of State for Education had once brought the issue before the institution.

    He maintained that from the records of the university, Obaseki was admitted as student in 1976 through direct entry and that he graduated in the year 1979, during the tenure of Prof. Tekena Tamino as Vice Chancellor and S.J Okufu as Registrar.

    “I will not regard the photocopy of the original certificate as forged but incomplete photocopying because the certificate of the University of Ibadan is larger than the paper upon which the photocopy was made,” Ajayi submitted.

    He then went ahead to tender photocopies of various sizes of papers and their outcome when the original was not reduced.

    Other documents he tendered to prove that Obaseki was a product of the university included relevant pages of the congregation for admission to degrees, award of diplomas and certificates and 31st Foundation Day Ceremony in September 1979, Obaseki’s application amongst others.

    The authorities of university of Ibadan had in June last year, before a Federal High Court in Benin, cleared Obaseki of similar forgery allegations.

    The institution said that Obaseki graduated from there and was accordingly awarded the degree certificate of Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Classical Studies in 1979.

    Ajayi gave the evidence as Obaseki opened his defence.

    He was Obaseki’s first witness.

    The second witness, Mr Charity Aguobawekhina, Chairman of the Edo State Law Reform Commission, tendered the original of Obaseki’s certificates, including the disputed BA Arts Degree in Classical Studies.

    The witness who claimed to be a close associate of Obaseki, informed the court that he made the said incomplete photocopy that Obaseki attached to his nomination form that he submitted to INEC.

    He added that part of the photocopy attached to form EC9 were cut off because of the largeness of the original certificate.

    He also tendered the primary school certificate obtained by Obaseki in 1971, School Certificate obtained in 1973 and Higher School Certificate obtained in 1976.

    Other documents were the University of Ibadan degree certificate obtained in 1979 and another Masters Degree certificate from Pace University obtained by Obaseki as his educational qualification.

    All the certificates, which were original copies were admitted as exhibits by the trial judge.

    Under cross examination, the witness insisted that the photocopy of the degree certificate, which had the signature of the university’s chief registrar, the date of issuance of the certificate and the name of the vice chancellor did not make the photocopy of the certificate a forged document.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and one of its chieftains, Mr Williams Edobor, dragged Obaseki to court for allegedly forging his university certificate, which he submitted to INEC to aid his qualification for the Sept. 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo.

    The plaintiffs wanted the court to disqualify Obaseki, who won the election, in the event that he was found to have forged his university degree obtained from the University of Ibadan in 1979.

  • Alleged forgery: Court admits Obaseki’s original certificates as evidence

    Alleged forgery: Court admits Obaseki’s original certificates as evidence

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted the original certificates of Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, as evidence.

    This comes as Justice Ahmed Mohammed presides over the case of alleged certificate forgery instituted against the governor by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a chieftain of the party, Mr Williams Edobor.

    The presiding judge admitted the documents as exhibits on Tuesday while the defendants called their first witness, Charity Aguobawekhina, to attest to their originality.

    Documents admitted by the court include Governor Obaseki’s First School Leaving Certificate obtained in 1971, his Ordinary Level Certificate obtained in 1973, and his Higher School Certificate obtained in 1976.

    Others are the governor’s Bachelor of Arts Degree Certificate issued by the University of Ibadan in 1979 and a Master’s Degree Certificate issued to him by the Pace University in New York, the United States in 1994.

    Counsel to the plaintiffs, Akin Olujimi, had raised an objection to the primary school certificate and original copy of the governor’s certificate from the University of Ibadan.

    He said the documents were not frontloaded and all arguments in respect to the objections raised would be taken to the final written address.

    Governor Obaseki’s certificates were admitted as evidence a day after the APC closed its case against him.

    At the resumed hearing of the suit on Monday, Olujimi concluded the APC’s case with the cross-examination of an expert witness, Raphael Onwuzuligbo, who is a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police and a forensic document examiner.

    When cross-examined by the counsels to Obaseki, Onwuzuligbo informed the court that the University of Ibadan’s logo on the governor’s certificate appeared to have been compromised.

    He added that the signature of the Vice-Chancellor of the university was missing from the certificate not because the document was poorly scanned but that it was truly missing.

    On his part, Olujimi stated that the testimony of the witness further proved their case against Governor Obaseki.

    This comes as Justice Ahmed Mohammed presides over the case of alleged certificate forgery instituted against the governor by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a chieftain of the party, Mr Williams Edobor.

    The presiding judge admitted the documents as exhibits on Tuesday while the defendants called their first witness, Charity Aguobawekhina, to attest to their originality.

    Documents admitted by the court include Governor Obaseki’s First School Leaving Certificate obtained in 1971, his Ordinary Level Certificate obtained in 1973, and his Higher School Certificate obtained in 1976.

    Others are the governor’s Bachelor of Arts Degree Certificate issued by the University of Ibadan in 1979 and a Master’s Degree Certificate issued to him by the Pace University in New York, the United States in 1994.

    Counsel to the plaintiffs, Akin Olujimi, had raised an objection to the primary school certificate and original copy of the governor’s certificate from the University of Ibadan.

    He said the documents were not frontloaded and all arguments in respect to the objections raised would be taken to the final written address.

    Governor Obaseki’s certificates were admitted as evidence a day after the APC closed its case against him.

    At the resumed hearing of the suit on Monday, Olujimi concluded the APC’s case with the cross-examination of an expert witness, Raphael Onwuzuligbo, who is a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police and a forensic document examiner.

    When cross-examined by the counsels to Obaseki, Onwuzuligbo informed the court that the University of Ibadan’s logo on the governor’s certificate appeared to have been compromised.

    He added that the signature of the Vice-Chancellor of the university was missing from the certificate not because the document was poorly scanned but that it was truly missing.

    On his part, Olujimi stated that the testimony of the witness further proved their case against Governor Obaseki.

  • Edo guber: Professors display exhibits against Gov Obaseki in alleged certificate falsification suit

    Edo guber: Professors display exhibits against Gov Obaseki in alleged certificate falsification suit

    Two University Professors, Emmanuel Dele Balogun and Maikano Asekomhe have displayed exhibits against the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

    The Professors tendered exhibits, which include their original Degree Certificates to court.

    Obaseki is in court defending an alleged certificate forgery suit instituted against him by his former political party, the All Progressives Congress APC.

    The Professors, who graduated at the University of Ibadan along with the Governor, submitted the certificates for the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to compare and contrast in order to arrive at a just conclusion in the suit.

    While Balogun graduated from the Agricultural Economics Department in 1979, the same year Obaseki claimed to have also graduated, Asekomhe graduated studied Banking and Finance in the same school and graduated in 1978.

    The duo, who were led in evidence by the counsel to the APC, Chief Akin Olujimi SAN, also questioned the entry qualifications of three credits in Ordinary Level WAEC and two credits in Advanced Level allegedly used by the Governor to gain direct entry admission to the University in 1976.

    They said that such lower qualifications were never accepted by the institution for direct entry for admission.

    The Professors, however, stunned the law court when they said that they have never seen the Governor’s certificate in their life.

    While under cross examination by Chief Ken Mozia SAN, the Professors also said that they were not competent in law to make comments on the certificate they have never seen.

    They said that their evidence were based on the photocopy of documents made available to them by the APC, and further admitted that they have never worked at the admission department of the University of Ibadan.

    Obaseki will on Tuesday (today) open his defense at the court.

    Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed on Monday adjourned hearing in the suit to Tuesday.

     

  • Alleged certificate forgery: Obaseki opens defence today

    Alleged certificate forgery: Obaseki opens defence today

    Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo will today, (Tuesday Jan. 5), open his defence at the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the ongoing alleged certificate forgery suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against him.
    The trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, adjourned the matter on Monday for Obaseki to open his defence on Jan. 5, after the APC closed its case after calling six witnesses.
    The APC and one of its chieftains, Mr Williams Edobor, dragged Obaseki to court for allegedly forging his University of Ibadan degree certificate.
    They said he submitted the certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of his educational qualification to contest the Sept. 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo.
    Other defendants in the suit are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and INEC.
    The fifth and sixth witnesses, Mr Gabriel Iduseri and Mr Maikano Asekomhe, in their testimonies, claimed that Obaseki forged his university of Ibadan certificate because of alleged discrepancies in the Certified True Copies (CTC) they said they obtained from INEC.
    Iduseri who claimed to be the current Caretaker Zonal Youth leader of the APC, however, admitted that he had never seen Obaseki’s original University of Ibadan degree certificate.
    He also stated that his allegations were based on photocopies obtained from INEC.
    Similarly, Asekomhe, who claimed to be an Associate Professor of Banking and Finance at the Benson Idahosa University, Benin, also said he had never seen Obaseki’s original certificate.
    He said he could therefore, not comment on the original certificate.
    At the end of cross examination of the sixth witness, lead counsel to the APC, Mr Akin Olujimi (SAN), informed the court that his clients were through with their case and would want to close it.
    Justice Mohammed subsequently ordered that the case of the plaintiffs be closed and ordered the first defendant, Obaseki, to open his case on the next adjourned date.
    Meanwhile, Justice Mohammed, in a judgment delivered on Monday, struck out the case of the National Rescue Movement against the nomination of Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu and AbdulGaniyu Daudu as governor and deputy governorship candidates respectively of the APC in the Sept. 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo.
    The judge struck out the case on the grounds that the case had become an academic exercise.
    He said this was because the election had been conducted, winners emerged and Ize-Iyamu and Daudu were not challenging the outcome of the polls at the ongoing election petition tribunal in Edo.
  • How escape of 2,000 prisoners during #EndSARS protests worsened insecurity in Edo – Obaseki

    How escape of 2,000 prisoners during #EndSARS protests worsened insecurity in Edo – Obaseki

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Friday said the escape of about 2,000 prisoners from correctional centres in the state during the #EndSARS protests led to the worsening insecurity situation in the state.

    The governor however noted that his administration would do everything possible to nip the ugly situation in the bud.

    Obaseki said this in his New Year broadcast.

    He said, “The social and economic tension emanating from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the #EndSARS protests and its aftermath, which resulted in jailbreaks in Oko and Sapele Road, Benin City. Almost 2,000 prisoners escaped from these facilities and this has compounded the security situation in the state, which we are now dealing with.

    “We are building a robust security system to deal with the peculiar challenges that we now face. We are essentially evolving a public safety system that is anchored on citizen participation with a bottom-up structure, such that citizens are actively engaged in protecting and securing their immediate communities in collaboration with the government.”

    He added that the government would be launching the operation ‘Know Your Neighbour,’ campaign, where citizens would be requested to provide information on the identities of all those who lived close to them.

    He also called on the citizens to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols.

    On the highpoint of the outgone year, the governor said the September 19, 2020 election was a silver lining for the state, saying, “In the midst of the gloom and despair, there was a silver lining for us in Edo State with the conduct of the September 19 governorship election, which against all predictions, turned out to be peaceful, credible and a watershed for our democracy as a nation.”
  • 2,000 prisoners’ escape compounded insecurity in Edo –Obaseki

    2,000 prisoners’ escape compounded insecurity in Edo –Obaseki

    Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Friday stated that the escape of about 2,000 prisoners from correctional centres in the state during the #EndSARS protests had compounded insecurity in the state.

    He, however, said the state government was building a vigorous security system to deal with the situation, urging citizens and the private sector to support the government’s efforts.

    Obaseki, who said this in his New Year broadcast, stated that he was embracing deep-rooted reforms in the state to engender sustainable development and reconfigure government institutions to better serve the people.

    He said, “The social and economic tension emanating from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the #EndSARS protests and its aftermath, which resulted in jailbreaks in Oko and Sapele Road, Benin City. Almost 2,000 prisoners escaped from these facilities and this has compounded the security situation in the state, which we are now dealing with.

    “We are building a robust security system to deal with the peculiar challenges that we now face. We are essentially evolving a public safety system that is anchored on citizen participation with a bottom-up structure, such that citizens are actively engaged in protecting and securing their immediate communities in collaboration with the government.”

    He added that the government would be launching the operation ‘Know Your Neighbour,’ campaign, where citizens would be requested to provide information on the identities of all those who lived close to them.

    He also called on the citizens to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols.

    On the highlight of the outgone year, the governor said the September 19, 2020 election was a silver lining for the state, saying, “In the midst of the gloom and despair, there was a silver lining for us in Edo State with the conduct of the September 19 governorship election, which against all predictions, turned out to be peaceful, credible and a watershed for our democracy as a nation.”

     

  • Court strikes out Obaseki’s alleged unlawful nomination suit against Ize-Iyamu

    Court strikes out Obaseki’s alleged unlawful nomination suit against Ize-Iyamu

    The Federal High Court Abuja, on Tuesday, struck out a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s disqualification from the Sept. 19 governorship election in Edo.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, struck out the suit on grounds that it had become academic.

    The judge also said that he saw no legal benefit that would accrue to the plaintiff if the suit succeeded.

    The PDP had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ize-Iyamu to court praying for an order disqualifying Ize-Iyamu from the elections on the grounds that he was unlawfully nominated by APC.

    The PDP alleged that he was unlawfully nominated because APC did not conduct proper primaries to nominate candidates for the Sept. 19 election in Edo.

    The party based its allegation on the grounds that Mr Adams Oshiomohle, who conducted the “purported” primaries that nominated Ize-Iyamu was no longer national chairman of the party and had no right to conduct the primaries.

    The PDP held that the APC, having failed to conduct a valid primary election, was not entitled to participate in the election.
    Objecting to the suit, the APC held that the election had already been conducted and the candidate of the PDP had won the election.

    The APC also submitted that it had not challenged the outcome of the election, neither did it petition the winners at the election petition tribunal.
    On the last adjourned date, Mrs Wendy Kuku, arguing on behalf of INEC, had urged the court to dismiss the suit for lacking in merit.

    Similarly, counsel to the APC, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, had prayed the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the suit was tantamount to “Mr A taking panadol for Mr B’s headache’’.

    Ize- Iyamu’s counsel, Roland Otaru (SAN) had also prayed the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that it had become academic since the election had already been conducted and won by Gov. Godwin Obaseki.

  • Obaseki makes wearing of facemasks compulsory, rolls out measures to curb Covid-19’s second wave

    Obaseki makes wearing of facemasks compulsory, rolls out measures to curb Covid-19’s second wave

    Governor, Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Wednesday announced that wearing of facemasks in public places is mandatory in the state as he rolled out measures to combat the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic in the state.

    Obaseki, who gave the directive in a state broadcast, also announced the reintroduction of restrictions and reactivation of disease surveillance and management protocols, including public health and safety guidelines to fortify the state government’s efforts at flattening the curve of the second wave of the virus.

    “In line with the Federal Government directive, we have adjusted our curfew to now begin from 12 mid-night to 4 am daily, beginning from today, December 23, 2020, except on December 31st, 2020,” he announced.

    The governor added that as part of the measures, all schools in the state would remain shut until January 18, 2021.

    According to him, “the government has decided to reintroduce the following measures in Edo State to limit the spread of the second wave of COVID-19, particularly during this holiday period: Wearing of facemask is mandatory in public places; there should be a drastic reduction in number of people attending religious, political and social gatherings in one place; people are advised not to patronize or enter any public facility without hand wash station, provided with soap and running water; Make use of hand sanitisers and observe adequate hand hygiene.”

    Obaseki noted that “The reason why I decided to address you today is to bring to your attention that the second wave of covid-19, which has been ravaging the world, has now hit us in Edo State”.

    As of December 23 morning, he said that the state had recorded 32 active cases with 4 new cases in the last 24 hours.

    “Experts have warned that from experience, the second wave in any epidemic is usually larger than the first. This is why as a government we are very concerned”, the governor reemphasised.

    “Arising from the experience, which we gained during the last outbreak of COVID-19, we now have in place a robust disease surveillance system in the state with well-trained contact tracers, who can undertake active case searches; we have 4 PCR molecular laboratories that can undertake large numbers of tests with procedures to promptly obtain results from the laboratories”, he enthused.

    Reassuring the government’s readiness to manage active cases and check the spread of the virus, the governor stated: “our case management system is intact to provide care for confirmed cases. We also have 4 well-equipped, functional isolation centres spread across the state.”

    “Even though we have created the capacity to respond to the new outbreak of COVID-19, our strategy to cope with the second wave is to decrease the incidence of the disease and decrease the mortality from the disease”, he added

    To decrease the number of COVID-19 cases and reduce deaths from the second wave, Obaseki added that emphasis would be on public enlightenment, and urged the residents to avoid crowded places, closed places and close contact with other people.

    While appreciating that during the yuletide period, there would normally be a lot of interactions with family and friends, he urged the people “to sacrifice this old practice so that we can be alive to enjoy many more Xmas and year-end activities in future”.

    “Market unions and trade associations are encouraged to rally their members to adhere to public health and safety guidelines outlined to halt the spread of the disease. Do not sell items to anyone not wearing facemasks so that they don’t put your life at risk,” he directed.

    Obaseki urged all Edo residents to be circumspect so as not to lose their loved ones as they go about celebrating during the yuletide season, adding that “in as much as the government will enforce the rules relating to COVID-19 in Edo State, it is important that each and every one of us take personal responsibility to protect ourselves and the people around us. We must abide by all public health and safety measures to ensure that we are safe.”

    “We appreciate the burden and dislocation which these restrictions cause our citizens and hope that with the discovery of the COVID-19 vaccines, this would be the last wave of the epidemic we would have to deal with.

    “Just as we collectively fought the first wave of COVID-19 together earlier this year, if we remember to wash our hands regularly with soap and water, keep a safe distance from other people and wear facemasks when in public, we will similarly overcome this wave”, the governor further pleaded.

    The governor appealed to the people to stay indoor, ” except it is absolutely necessary to go out.”