The Justice Yunusa Musa-led three-member election petitions tribunal in Edo State will on Monday (Today) rule on the remaining four of the five petitions against Governor Godwin Obaseki by the aggrieved governorship candidates and parties that took part in the September 19, 2020 election in the state.
The petitions were filed by the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its candidate, Iboi Emmanuel; and Tracy Agol. Agol did not include her party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the petition against Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The other two were by the Action Peoples Party (APP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). Their candidates, Amos Areloegbe and Igbineweka Osamuede-were not joined in their petitions.
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The tribunal had on December 11 dismissed a petition by the Action Alliance (AA) and its candidate, Ukonga Onaivi, against Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to file pre-hearing notice.
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, presented to the Federal High Court, Abuja, two more documents to prove its allegation of certificate forgery against Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
They are University of Ibadan degree certificates, belonging to Professor Emmanuel Dele Balogun, and a report by a forensic document examiner, Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP), Raphael Onwuzuligbo.
Both were admitted in evidence by the court after the lead counsel of the plaintiffs, Akin Olujimi (SAN) tendered.
The first degree certificate in Agricultural Science submitted was awarded to Balogun in 1979, the same year with that of Obaseki.
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The second document was admitted with a caveat following objections to their admissibility raised by the first and second defendants.
The APC and a chieftain, Williams Edobor had dragged Obaseki, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the plaintiffs, through a subpoenaed witness, Samuel Omale, an INEC Legal Officer, tendered form EC9 completed and Obaseki submitted to INEC ahead of the governorship poll.
During cross examination on Wednesday, Balogun told the court that he had never seen the controversial degree certificate issued to Obaseki by the University of Ibadan.
The witness stated that he never worked in the admission department of the institution, and could not comment on the certificate.
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Replying to a question on photocopying, Balogun said when a document to be photocopied is not properly placed in the machine; it is possible for some parts of the original not to be included in the copy.
“If you do not scale it, some parts will be left out and it will not be a true reflection of the original documents”, he said.
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