Kogi: Court rules that PDP’s Wada presented forged certificate

The Lokoja division of the Federal High has ruled that the People’s Democratic party, (PDP) candidate in the last governorship election in Kogi State, Engineer Musa Wada was not qualified to have taken part in the poll.

Delivering judgement in the case filed by Femi Peter, a lawyer, public interest litigator and citizen of Kogi State, Justice D.U Okorowo ruled that plaintiff was able to prove that the primary school certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Wada was forged.

The suit sought amongst other prayers an order disqualifying Wada from contesting the election having presented false information/ false document to INEC in support of his candidacy.

It was alleged that Musa Wada forged the Certificate of Primary Education which he presented to INEC together with his Form CF001.

It was also alleged that he presented false information on oath when he stated in his Form CF001 submitted to INEC that he had never presented a forged certificate to INEC.

The judge averred that in proof of his claims, the plaintiff supplied letters written by both Kwara and Kogi State ministries of education confirming that Wada’s Certificate of Primary Education was not authentic.

“Consequently, the Court pursuant to Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) amongst other reliefs granted, disqualified Musa Atayi Wada from contesting in the 16th November 2019 Kogi State Gubernatorial Election.

“The essence of this decision is that the PDP did not participate or have a qualified candidate at the 2019 Governorship Election in Kogi State,” he ruled.

Daily Trust recalls that a High Court sitting in Lokoja had ruled last month that PDP had no candidate in the November 16 governorship election in the state .

Justice John Olorunfemi of the state high court 4 in a ruling had said that the primary election conducted on 3rd September 2019 which produced Engineer Musa Wada as the flag bearer of PDP was fraught with irregularities and cannot be said to be fair enough to produce a candidate.