A Federal High Court sitting in Minna, Niger State has on Monday dismissed a case of certificate forgery against the state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello.
The presiding Judge, Justice Aminu Aliyu upheld the objections of the defendants that the suit Haven been filed outside 14 days runs foul of Section 285 (9) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
However, Counsel to the Plaintiff, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aliyu Lemu said he was dissatisfied with the judgment by the Court saying “the Judge erred in law, we will appeal against the judgment.”
The suit was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who alleged that the governor submitted forged certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It should be recalled that the charges were filed on January 11, 2019.
The Court held that the Plaintiff failed to establish that Sani Bello presented forged certificate to INEC as the sole witness called by PDP was demolished under cross-examination by the Defendants’ Counsel.
Furthermore, the court held that the Plaintiff’s case is devoid of merit, dismissed the same and awarded cost of N500,000 to the 1st and 2nd Defendants.
While responding to the ruling, Counsel to the Governor, Mr J.S Okutepa SAN stated that the case against his client “was nothing but political amusement. From the on-set, the Plaintiff had set out on a mission that was for political amusement.”
Also, Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yunus Ustaz Usman SAN stated that he is satisfied with the judgment noting that the case was bound to fail on all sides.
While Counsel to INEC Johnson Jacob Usman stated that he is satisfied with the judgment as it was in line with the state of the law in all aspect.
He finally concluded by saying that the Plaintiff having withdrawn all his reliefs apart from the omnibous reliefs, the Court was very magnanimous and over diligence in considering those reliefs.
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