Certificate Forgery: Appeal Court dismisses APC’s suit, upholds High Court ruling in favour of Obaseki

By Angela James,

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which held that Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki did not forge his certificates to contest the 2020 gubernatorial election.

The members of the Appeal Court panel, which delivered the judgment in the case with suit no CA/ABJ/CV/71/2021 between All Progressive Congress (APC) & Anor v. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki & 2 Ors., are Hon. Justice Stephen Adah JCA (PJ), Hon. Justice Ige JCA and Hon. Justice Mohammed Mustapha JCA.

In the judgment given by the Court of Appeal, Abuja on Thursday, March 18, the court ruled that the lower court has not made any mistake and that the plaintiff and witnesses did not pin the 1st Respondent to have forged the certificate.

It held that the judgment of the lower court is apt and very clear, noting that the appellant performed abysmally and has not proved any case.

“The findings of the lower court cannot be faulted,” it added.

The court, therefore, dismissed the appeal, noting that it was unmeritorious.

Upholding the judgment of the Federal High Court, the Appeal Court awarded the cost of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250,000) to be paid to the 1st Respondent and Fifty Thousand Naira (50,000) each to the 2nd and 3rd respondents.