We've no court order to probe certificate forgery claim against Obaseki, says INEC
- INEC has said that it has no court order to probe certificate forgery claims against Governor Godwin Obaseki
- ADP had called on the electoral body to look into the allegation even after the governor has been declared winner of the last governorship poll
- However, INEC replied that do so will be going beyond its boundaries
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it cannot probe allegation of certificate forgery against Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The Action Democratic Party (APD) had claimed that Governor Obaseki forged his University of Ibadan certificate before he was declared as the winner of the last gubernatorial poll in Edo and therefore, called on INEC to investigate the allegation, Vanguard reports.
In its reaction to ADP's demand, the electoral body said that it cannot delve into such issues because it has no court order to that effect and that this is beyond the limits of its official responsibilities, Vanguard reports.
Source: UGC
INEC's reply was put forward by its lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, on Sunday, November 8.
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Awomolo said:
“It is also not the duty of the first respondent (INEC) to investigate the origin of the said documents duly submitted to it.
“The information given by the 3rd respondent (Mr Godwin Obaseki) in the affidavit and documents submitted by him as a candidate at the election in INEC’s nomination form (Form C.F. 001) are presumed manifestly true or prima facie correct until and only if the contrary is proved and/or pronounced false by an order of the court.”
Meanwhile, after many litigations from some opposition parties in Edo, especially the ADP, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had admitted that there is an error in the certificate of Obaseki.
The PDP said that there was actually a mistake in Obaseki’s admission and graduation years because the governor by way of error filled in 1976 as the year of graduation, which was originally the year of his admission into UI.
APC disqualifies Obaseki from Edo guber primaries | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
