An FCT High Court in Apo has dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of the Adamawa State Governor, Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow, from the forthcoming governorship election, over alleged certificate forgery.
While delivering judgment in the suit today, the trial judge, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi upheld the submission of Bindow’s counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN) that the court lacked territorial jurisdiction to hear the suit.
“No legal basis or justification for the claimant to travel all the way to Abuja when the form (INEC’s Form CF001) that formed the basis of the suit was published in Adamawa,” the judge held.
A group, Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International, had alleged that Bindow supplied false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in his INEC Form CF 001
This, he allegedly did by purporting to have sat for the West African Examination Council (WAEC), in June, 1983, and posses General Certificate of Education (GCE) issued by the examination body.
The plaintiff further accused the governor of falsely declaring his educational qualification and date of birth for the purpose of nomination/election into the office of Governor of Adamawa State for the 2019 general elections.
The group urged the court to declare that the act and conduct of governor Bindow, in declaring under oath, to have attended Government Secondary School, Miango, Plateau State, and issued with GCE in June, 1983, by WAEC, as well as falsely swearing to have been born on different dates constitute giving false information under section 31(5) of the Electoral Act, 2010, as well as criminal act of perjury contrary to the Penal Code Act.
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