Court adjourns suit on Kwara Gov-elect’s alleged certificate forgery to May 15
By Kayode Adeoti
The court has fixed May 15, 2019 to hear the suit challenging the authenticity of the certificate of the Kwara State Governor-elect, Abdulramand Abdulrazaq.
Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court, last week, adjourned the matter on the basis that the court processes have not been served on the defendant (Abdulrazaq).
The court further asked the claimant to ensure the service get to the respondent before the next adjourned date.
Abdulrazaq, who won the governorship poll under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was accused of allegedly presenting a fake West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate while submitting his credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He was subsequently dragged to court by Adekunle Oluwafemi Abraham over the matter through his legal representative, Muyiwa Atoyebi
In the suit no KWS/73/2019, Justice Akinpelu gave the Governor-elect 30 days ultimatum to respond to the allegation and defend the authenticity of his certificate.
The ultimatum which was issued by the court on 7th March, 2019 expired on April 7, 2019.
Recall that the WAEC recently opened up on the issue for the first time in an exclusive chat with National Pilot.
According to the Head Public Affairs, WAEC, Demianus Ojijeogu who spoke in a telephone chat from Lagos, disclosure about the authenticity or otherwise of the certificate of Abdulrazaq can only be based on legal grounds.
“WAEC has a way of verifying result of person(s) who sat for any of the exams. It is not for us to confirm the result to you as a journalist. We can only do that to him because it is his own personal record or the court (based on exigency).
“For now, we can’t be talking on whether he (Abdulrazaq) sat for the exam or not until there is a legal ground for that (compelling INEC to do so), he added.
…as election tribunal sits today
By Kayode Adeoti
The Kwara State Governorship and State Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal will today begin the hearing of petitions filed against the Governor-elect, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and two lawmakers-elect.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the just concluded governorship election in the state, Hon. Razak Atunwa were challenging the qualification of governor-elect, Alh Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest the March 9 governorship election.
In an exparte application, counsel to the petitioners, Abdulwahab Bamidele who held brief for Paul Isokoro , (SAN) had sought the tribunal’s leave to serve the 1st and 2nd respondents( Abdulrazaq and APC) through “substituted means “.
He asked the tribunal for a leave to enable him serve the respondents with the “petitions and processes on the tribunal’s notice board within the premises of the state High Court complex Ilorin, his last known address at No 1, Abdulkadir road GRA , Ilorin and APC’S Secretariat at Asa Road, GRA ,Ilorin.
Similar exparte motion was filled by Abdulazeez Ibrahim, counsel to Action Alliance (AA), governorship candidate, Ismail Adisa, challenging the qualification of the governor-elect.
In his ruling, the tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Bassey Effiong granted the applications adding that the tribunal acknowledged that the purpose of the applications was to bring to the notice of the respondents the “pendency” of petitions before the tribunal for which they were granted.
He therefore adjourned the sitting till April 15, 2019 for hearing.
