By: Amb. Valentine Adese (JP),
The alleged case of Certificate Forgery against Mohammad Adam Alkali in Petition No: EPT/PL/HR/08/2023 has resonated again, as the People of Jos-North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State prepare for the Re-run election slated by INEC for the 3rd of February 2024.
You would recall that the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, had refused to take decision on the issue of the allegation while delivering its’ judgment on the Appeal filed by Rt. Hon. Baba Hassan on the ground that the Trial Tribunal which sat in Jos, did not take a decision on it.
But, Pundits in Plateau State, who had monitored the Political development had questioned why the Trial Tribunal had left such vital aspect of the Petition unattended to, despite the fact that it formed the major grounds of the case against, Hon. Alkali.
Pundits have also began to question why the Nigerian ,Police that had testified at the Tribunal that Alkali is under the Nigerian Police investigation, had over months not started his trial, despite the fact that the representative of the Police’s evidence before the State/National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal that sat in Jos is allegedly overwhelming.
Pundits have observed from the documents tendered at the trial Tribunal that the graduation date, classmate number, the score, result and the allegedly name claimed by Hon. Adam in his forged certificate have remained questionable and hence, have decided to call on the electorate of Bassa/Jos-North Federal Constituency of Plateau State to be weary.
It is on record that, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Baba Hassan and his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), had told the National/State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal that sat in Jos, in Petition No: EPT/PL/HR/08/2023 that, the issue in contention in the Petition is the allegation of disqualification based on Constitutional Breach.
This was stated in Rt. Hon. Baba Hassan’s response to the Preliminary Objection (PO) raised by the 4th and 5th Respondents on the First Ground of the Petitioners’ Petition.
Rt. Hon. Baba Hassan also told the Tribunal that as Petitioners, they have established evidence that the 4th Respondent, Hon. Adam, had presented a forged Primary School Certificate to INEC, which was disclosed by their witnesses.
In part the Petitioners had stated that:-
“The Petitioners have also established by evidence that the 4th Respondent has presented a forged primary school certificate to 1st Respondent. This was disclosed by PW2 (The Education Secretary of the Jos-North Local Government Education Authority) on behalf of the issuing authority in Jos-North, Plateau State.
“The School record tendered by the 4th Respondent Counsel by way of Cross examination of the PW2 herein Marked as Exhibit P14 also confirmed that the Headmaster’s Report contained in the face of the alleged forged Certificate is totally at variance with Exhibit P14.
“Also confirmed that the alleged primary School Certificate is forged is the evidence of 4RW5, who testified under cross examination that he filed the Certificate with internal school record not common entrance record. And such evidence is evidence against self.
“The Petitioner also proved by Police Report through PW1 that an investigation is been carried out by the Police on the matter.
“Also the Petitioners established by evidence that the 4th Respondent has no minimum academic Certificate to contest the House of Representative seat of Bassa/Jos-North Federal Constituency because, none of his Certificate is bearing his name MUHAMMAD ADAM ALKALI as reflected in his INEC Form EC9, Marked as Exhibit P8”.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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