From Segun Amure, (The New Diplomat’s Abuja Bureau)
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of Federal High Court in Abuja on Saturday dismissed the certificate forgery suit against Governor Godwin Obaseki, the winner of the September 2020 Edo Gubernatorial election.
The verdict has prompted wide jubilations among the Governor’s supporters in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
It would be recalled that the All Progressives Congress(APC) through a chieftain of the APC, Williams Edobor had accused the Governor Obaseki of forging his Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In his judgment, Mohammed said, “the concession of the plaintiffs’ witnesses that they did not bother to go to the University of Ibadan or any of the institution that they claimed Mr Obaseki forged their certificates, was enough to let the case to rest.”
The judge noted that the Deputy Registrar (Legal) of the University of Ibadan had given evidence in the suit that the university duly issued the certificate to Governor Obaseki.
According to him, the governor was duly and properly admitted to study Classics which was later renamed Classical Studies in 1976 and graduated in 1979.
Justice Mohammed concluded that the plaintiffs failed to prove their allegations of forgery against Governor Obaseki and, thereby, dismissed the case.
“Having thoroughly analysed the evidence of this case, it is the conclusion of this court that plaintiff did not forge his O’Level Certificate, his HSC certificate, and particularly his University of Ibadan degree certificate.” he ruled.
However, “Accordingly the plaintiffs’ case is dismissed with not order as to cost.” he said.
