Appeal Court Upheld Tribunal’s Judgement, Exonerates Baba Hassan of Certificate Scandal

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

The Court of Appeal sitting in Jos, Plateau State capital on Wednesday upheld the judgement of the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal affirming the election of Honourable Baba Hassan of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Court also exonerated Hassan of allegations of certificate forgery saying that he was eminently qualified to contest the election.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for Jos North-North, Hon Munir Balo and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party had approached the Appeal Court alleging that Baba Hassan forged his Diploma Certificate of University of Jos which he tendered in 2014 to contest the election and again tendered in 2019.

The Tribunal had earlier decided in its judgement that the petitioner failed to prove its case of forgery.

The Appellants sought the reliefs of the Appeal Court to nullify the election and conduct a fresh election which would exclude Baba Hassan and his party, the All Progressives Congress.

The Court held that the certificate forgery matter pending at the Federal High Court, Jos by the Attorney General against the second respondent “remains a charge and nothing more”.

The matters were resolved in favour of the respondents and the appeal was thereafter dismissed.