Tribunal sacks Kano NNPP Rep over alleged certificate forgery

National and State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Kano State delivered a landmark verdict, invalidating the electoral triumph of Muktar Umar Yerima, a representative of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the House of Representatives for Tarauni Federal Constituency.

Presided over by a three-member panel led by Justice I.P. Chima, the tribunal dealt a decisive blow to Yerima’s victory by pointing to alleged discrepancies in his primary school certificate, a critical document submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the election.

Justice I.P. Chima’s pronouncement resonated with finality as he declared, “Through a meticulous analysis of the evidence presented, it has been ascertained beyond reasonable doubt that Muktar Umar Yerima presented a counterfeit primary school certificate to INEC. This transgression renders him ineligible for the position he was elected to.”

Hafizu Kawu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member, stood as the petitioner in this legal bout, fervently challenging Yerima’s eligibility. Kawu, backed by substantiated evidence of certificate forgery, managed to sway the tribunal’s decision in his favor.

The tribunal’s ruling cast a shadow over Yerima’s candidature, branding his party’s candidate as an unsuitable contender in the election. Consequently, all the votes that were cast for Yerima were deemed “wasted votes” by the tribunal’s decree.

With a resolute hand, the tribunal mandated INEC to revoke Yerima’s previously issued certificate of return, effectively stripping him of his elected seat.

Yerima’s defense revolved around his assertion of a legal name change in 2022. Nevertheless, the tribunal brushed this claim aside, deeming his adoption of multiple names – Umar Mukhtar Zakari – in various official documents since 2009 as contradictory and detrimental to his credibility.

Adding a layer of authenticity to the tribunal’s verdict, the very institution in question, Hausawa Primary School, disavowed the certificate attributed to Yerima, reinforcing the tribunal’s stance on the matter.