- Opponent Questions How ex-Gov Curiously Got WASC in 1993, Law Degree (LL.B) in 1992…
Is it not curious that someone could obtain a West Africa School Certificate(WASC) in 1993 and at the same time proceed to earn a degree in Law the previous year, 1992?
How did the applicant secure admission for the designated LL.B degree programme when possession of WASC is one of the eligibility criteria?
What were the benchmarks used for granting the said applicant fitness to contest previous elections in the past?
These and many other lingering questions are said to be the knotty issues that the federal high court has scheduled to ascertain this Wednesday. The federal high court is set to determine the appropriateness of a suit seeking to disqualify the immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Hon Henry Seriake Dickson from contesting the forthcoming Bayelsa West Senatorial Bye-election in the state.
The suit which was filed by one of ex-Dickson’s kinsman, Eneoriekumoh Owoupele through his counsels, Pius Danba and Ebikebuna Aluzu, also listed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Dickson Seriake as first, second, and third respondents, respectively.
The litigant is seeking the nod of the court to declare the erstwhile governor as unfit, ineligible and unqualified to contest the Bye-election for Bayelsa west senatorial district on grounds that the information contained in his form EC9 is misleading, inconsistent, fraudulent and incongruent.
Furthermore, the plaintiff is praying the federal high court to make a declaration that “the combined interpretation of the provisions of Section 31(1)(5)(6) of Electoral Act, 2010 as amended and Section 66 (1)(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Dickson’s INEC Form EC9 contained false information and forged certificate and that the former governor should be disqualified from the senatorial election scheduled for October 31”.
Dickson’s kinsman who approached the Federal high court for a determination of the ex-governor’s eligibility or otherwise to contest the Senatorial Bye-election is also asking the court to declare that “Dickson’s presentation of various certificates and documents bearing different names such as ‘Dickson Seriake’, ‘Henry Seriake Dickson’, ‘Seriake Dickson’ and ‘Dickson Seriaki’, without any valid change of name amounted to giving false information under section 31(5) of the Electoral Act as amended.”
This development has expectedly elicited panic and tension in the political camp of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa state. Some political leaders in the state are said to be apprehensive about the likely outcome of this suit.
Recall that Bayelsa state has been awash of late with many court cases of political figures bearing inconsistent names in their educational certificates including the deputy governorship candidate to Chief David Lyon of the APC in last year’s governorship election.
Recall that the Supreme court had nullified Lyon’s election on grounds that his running mate had inconsistent names, among other issues. Interestingly, in this particular case, the plaintiff is praying the court to declare that ex-Governor Dickson’s statement to the effect that he obtained WASC in 1993 and GCE O/L (General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level) “in 1994 is not only false but also misleading and most incongruous as he swore to have obtained his Law Degree (LL.😎 in 1992, amounting to giving false information to the 1st Defendant”.
The affidavit in aid of the originating summons reads among other things thus, “the 3rd Defendant swore in his INEC Form EC9 (affidavit in support of personal particulars of persons seeking election to office of Senator Bayelsa West senatorial District) that he has never presented false or forged certificate to the 1st Defendant.
“The 3rd Defendant swore in his INEC Form EC9 (affidavit in support of personal particulars of persons seeking election to office of Senator Bayelsa West senatorial District) is an attestation and a certificate.
“The 3rd Defendant swore on oath by his INEC Form EC9 (affidavit in support of personal particulars of persons seeking election to office of Senator Bayelsa West senatorial District) stating that he did not attend any primary school, has no primary school education/certificate and has no former names and that he obtained WASC in 1993 but presented to the 1st Defendant the West African Examination Council (WAEC) of DICKSON SERIAKI for 1983 without any valid change of name or concurrence of the date of obtaining the qualification/certificate.
“In 2015 the 3rd Defendant deposed to an affidavit that he attended Kolobirowei Primary School, Toru-Orua now in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State between 1972 to 1978 where he obtained First School Leaving certificate. The 3rd Defendant presented the said affidavit to the 1st Defendant in 2015.
“The 3rd Defendant swore on oath by his INEC Form EC9 (affidavit in support of personal particulars of persons seeking election to office of Senator Bayelsa West senatorial District) stating that he has no former names and that he obtained GCE O/L (General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level) in 1994 but presented to the 1st Defendant the West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate of DICKSON SERIAKE for 1984 without any valid change of name or concurrence of the date of obtaining the qualification/certificate.
“The 3rd Defendant swore on oath in his INEC Form EC9 (affidavit in support of personal particulars of persons seeking election to office of Senator Bayelsa West senatorial District) that he did not attend primary school and has no first school leaving certificate but yet obtained secondary school education/certificate in 1993 and attaching the certificate of DICKSON SERIAKI for 1983 without any valid change of name or concurrence of the date of obtaining the qualification/certificate.
“The 3rd Defendant’s who swore an oath by his INEC Form EC9 (affidavit in support of personal particulars of persons seeking election to office of Senator Bayelsa West senatorial District) that he has obtained Law Degree (LL.😎 in 1992 about a year before the year he swore to have obtained WASC (The Western Association of Schools and Colleges) in 1993 in the name of DICKSON SERIAKI and GCE O/L (General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level) in 1994 in the name DICKSON SERIAKE about two years later, all without valid change of name of concurrence of the dates of obtaining the certificates.
“The 3rd Defendant has submitted to the 1st Defendant in his INEC Form EC9 (affidavit in support of personal particulars of persons seeking election to office of Senator Bayelsa West senatorial District) information and particulars that are not true and correct knowingly that the information in his form is not true.”
The plaintiff, therefore, prayed for “an order disqualifying the 3rd Defendant as candidate of the 2nd Defendant from the Bayelsa west Senatorial District election slated for 31st day of October 2020 or any such other date that may be rescheduled by the 1st Defendant”.
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