A Federal High Court in Abuja will on Tuesday deliver judgement in a suit seeking disqualification of a House of Representatives member for providing alleged false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Musa Adamu, who was elected in a by-election on March 14, to represent Babura/Garki Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, is accused of forging his secondary school certificate and two court affidavits.
He has denied the allegations.
The by-election followed the death of the member representing the constituency, who was the father of Mr Adamu. Like his late father, Mr Adamu is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The pre-election matter is before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.
The suit was instituted by Nasiru Dantiye, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the election.
Mr Dantiye had approached the Federal High Court, praying for declaration that the APC candidate was not qualified to contest the election because he presented false information and forged document to INEC in support of his credentials to contest the election.
Mr Dantiye and PDP alleged that the Senior Secondary School Certificate attached to the nomination form did not belong to Mr Adamu as the name written on the statement of result is “Mohammed Musa Adam” not Musa Muhammad Adamu.
The lawyers, led by Abdul Mohammed, also alleged that an affidavit purportedly sworn to by Mr Adamu claiming his name was wrongly written on his certificate was also forged.
This was allegedly confirmed by the Chief Registrar of the FCT High Court via a letter date March 12 addressed to Mr Dantiye’s counsel, a copy of which was obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.
It is also alleged that the declaration of age purported to have been sworn by the father of Mr Adamu before the FCT High Court is also forged.
This was also allegedly confirmed by the Chief Registrar of the FCT High Court in his letter to the lawyers.
Another issue before the court is the allegation that Mr Adamu presented a false
information to INEC in his form when he stated that he resigned from his work on December 31, 2019, while the resignation letter he attached indicated that his resignation took effect from January 31, 2020.
The suit is filed pursuant to the provision of the of Section 31 (5) of the Electoral Act, 2010 which mandates person who suspects false information to file a suit to challenge the candidacy of any person.
The legal team relied on the recent case of the deputy governor-elect of Bayelsa state in which the Supreme Court invalidated the APC victory.
The PDP candidate wants Mr Adamu disqualified and that he should be declared the winner.
But Mr Adamu’s lawyers led by Yakubu Maikyau, a senior advocate of Nigeria, are challenging the premise of Mr Dantiye’s suit.
Mr Maikyau did not however answer phone calls for comments on the suit.
Mr Dantiye’s lead counsel, Abdul Mohammed, declined comment saying that could be preemptive of the court.
Premium Times