Categories: Latest News

Certificate forgery: PDP candidate loses appeal against Kogi lawmaker, Idrisu

An appeal court rules on certificate forgery suit against Idrisu

PDP Reps candidate fined over ‘frivolous’ appeal against APC lawmaker

For filing what it described as “frivolous appeal”, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for House of Representatives election in Ajaokuta federal constituency of Kogi state, Hon. Okino Aloysius Adeiza, has been fined by the Court of Appeal.

In a frank judgement delivered on Friday by a panel of 3 Justices presided by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the appellate court did not only dismiss Adeiza’s appeal against Hon. Lawal Mohammed Idrisu of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC); the court also awarded the sum of N400,000 as cost, against the appellant.

It could be recalled that, Hon. Adeiza, in a pre-election suit filed in 2018, challenged the qualification of Hon. Idrisu, alleging that he forged his National Diploma (ND) certificate which was obtained from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

This was, even as, Hon. Adeiza had challenged same ND certificate at the tribunal and court of appeal in 2015 when he was first defeated at the poll, but lost at both courts for lack of sufficient proofs.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, however, delivered judgement on the suit in April, 2019, saying, since the issue of certificate forgery had been settled by the Tribunal and court of appeal in 2015 for lack of proofs, “the action is an abuse of court process and also statued barred”.

Irked by the ruling of Justice Taiwo of the federal high court, Hon. Adeiza, through his counsel, Reuben Egwuaba (Esq.), approached the court of appeal, praying that the judgement of the trial court be set aside and Hon. Idrisu be disqualified.

Hon. Idrisu, on the other hand, prayed the appellate court, through his counsels, AA Ibrahim (SAN) and Tawada Adams (Esq.), to uphold the judgement delivered by Justice Taiwo.

Delivering the lead judgement on Friday, Justice Agim frowned at the counsel to the appellant for not properly advising his client.

He said, “Lawyers should advise their clients appropriately”, stressing that “law is law, no matter how it is seen”.

Justice Agim warned that, when a judgement is given, it is given according to the principles set by law, “and you cannot undo it, no matter how you twist it”.

He said, having been decided by the court of appeal in 2015, bringing same certificate forgery appeal before the appellate court in 2019 would amount to abuse of court process, even as he said, ” there must be an end to every litigation”.

He therefore, dismissed the appeal, upheld the judgement of the trial court and awarded N400,000 cost to the PDP candidate.

Ben Idah

Recent Posts

BBNaija’s Phyna publicly rejects family, drops surname

Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Josephine Ijeoma Otabor, also known as Phyna, has publicly…

13 mins ago

Yemi Alade slams Cool FM, Clout Africa over blacklisting, refusal to forgive

Nigerian singer Yemi Alade has criticized prominent media outlets Cool FM and Clout Africa, accusing…

38 mins ago

BREAKING: Relief as Lakurawa terrorists flee Nigeria after military intervention

Senator Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central, has announced that the Nigerian military successfully expelled the…

53 mins ago

BREAKING: Supreme Court nullifies National Lottery Act, grants states exclusive control

The Supreme Court has struck down the National Lottery Act of 2005, ruling that the…

1 hour ago

Latest update on fuel price hike, fuel scarcity for November 22nd, 2024

As Nigerians express their frustrations over the recent fuel price hikes by the Nigerian National…

6 hours ago

Full List of 80,000 delisted companies published by CAC

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has officially removed companies that failed to file their annual…

6 hours ago