Certificate Forgery: Court Adjourns Suit Against Kwara Gov-elect Till May 14

A Kwara State High Court presided by Justice Adenike Akinpelu has adjourned till May 14 the case instituted against Kwara State governor- elect , Abdulrahman Abdulrazak , concerning the authenticity of his West African Examination Council certificate .

The adjournment was to effect service on the defendant , the court ruled .

The suit with number KWS / 73 /2019 was instituted against the governor -elect by one Adekunle Oluwafemi Abraham , a member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Apado Ward in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State .

The claimant in his statement on oath said : “ While examining the personal particulars of the defendant , he was curious about the purported West African Examination Council school certificate No . SC 180683 purportedly dated June , 1976 of the defendant particularly, the way the defendant ’ s name is written as ‘ RASAQ A R’ which , from my personal experience , the West African Examination Council as a standard examination body in West Africa does not normally abbreviate names on the school certificates issued by it.

“ That the way and manner the defendant ’ s name appears on his purported West African Examination Council school certificate No . SC 180683 dated June , 1976 raised my suspicion that the said West African Examination Council No . SC 180683 dated June , 1976 could not have been issued by West African Examination Council and I reported my suspicion to my political party , Peoples Democratic Party , which promised to look into my complaint of my suspicion .

“ That I also know as a fact that the defendant did not sit for West African Examination Council School Certificate and was therefore not issued with the purported West African Examination Council School Certificate No . SC 180683 dated June , 1976 submitted to Independent National Electoral Commission by the defendant .

“ The claimant in his statement of claim contended that “ the West African Examination Council School Certificate No . SC 180683 allegedly issued to the defendant by WAEC in June 1976 and submitted to INEC was a false document .
“ The claimant shall apply to this honorable court to issue subpoena on West African Examination Council to produce the original of the said certificate .

“ He further contended that the documents submitted by Abdulrazaq as his educational qualification was not issued by WAEC and thus , the defendant was not qualified to contest the office of Governor of Kwara State whose election will hold on Saturday. ”

Abraham further urged the court to declare that the APC candidate lied on oath , submitted forged documents and stood disqualified from contesting the gubernatorial elections .

The plaintiff attached to the process filed before the court the forms and attached documents submitted to INEC by the APC gubernatorial candidate .

When the case came up for hearing on Thursday , counsel to the plaintiff , Mr . Abdulrazak Gold, informed the court that Abdulrahman Abdulrazak , who is the Kwara State governor- elect and who is the defendant in the suit , could not be traced by the court bailiffs to be served with the documents of the suit in his known addresses .

The counsel, while praying the court to grant the plaintiff an adjournment , said that Abdulrazak could not yet be served with the notice of the suit by the bailiffs up till Thursday morning .

In his ruling , Justice Akinpelu adjourned the suit till Tuesday , May 14 , 2019 to allow the plaintiff to serve the governor – elect with the court notice on the suit .