I’m not responsible for forged signature on fake death certificate of our member – ADP National Chair

National Chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Engr. Yabagi Sani, has said that the forgery of his signature in a document announcing the death of the party’s 2023 House of Representatives candidate for Nasarawa Constituency, Kano State, Musa Mohammed Ali, is the handiwork of party members, who are presently being investigated by the police.

Recall that Ali, in a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, made available to journalists, on Friday, accused Sani and Victor Fingesi of forging and presenting his death certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for his replacement.

He gave Sani and Fingesi three days to publish a letter of apology in five national newspapers and withdraw the letter from INEC or he would sue the alleged perpetrators of forgery, lamenting he is presently being regarded as a ghost, with mourners thronging his country home to sympathize with his family members over his supposed death.

However, addressing journalists Saturday at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, Sani said the party member suspected of forging his signature was arrested by the police and presently being investigated, despite being granted bail earlier in November last year.

He said: “I am not surprised that my signature was forged on a supposed death certificate of our former House of Representatives candidate in Kano. The truth is that, during the time we were uploading documents to INEC last year, we discovered that there was an existence of my carved signature. It was when I discovered this that I alerted the police and they had to investigate the matter.

“The police arrested the person responsible for the carved signature. In fact, the police also discovered the seal of the party with the suspect. He was interrogated, detained and later granted bail. The case is presently with the FCT Police Command, who are still investigating the criminal incident. I never forged any death certificate to INEC for any member to be replaced.

“In fact, the person making the claim of forgery against me should apologize to me and the party. From my inquiries, I learnt that he was not even validly nominated by the party and did not even pay nomination fee for the election. Therefore, I find it repugnant to be drawn into such an issue of forgery.

“I can recall vividly that the case of forgery was taken to the FCT police command on 19th November, 2022, where the suspect was detained. I am even surprised that the case was brought up now that I am contesting for IPAC national chairmanship. Perhaps, mischievous elements want to tarnish my image, but it won’t work because the police are already investigating the suspect.”