CERTIFICATE SCANDAL: COURT UPHOLDS DAPO ABIODUN AS ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE IN OGUN

The plaintiff also prayed the court to disqualify the candidate from the Governorship race for alleged concealment and deliberate refusal to supply details of his educational qualifications to electoral commission as require by law so as to escape punishment for infringement on the law.

Penpushing further reports, that Baruwa claimed that Abiodun claimed in 2015 Senatorial election form for Ogun East to have graduated from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, but in the 2019 Governorship form, the candidate was said to have claimed to possess only secondary school education.

The plaintiff also emphasized in the suit that the candidate deliberately concealed his university education because of his alleged non participation in the mandatory national youth service scheme for Nigerians who are 30 years and below as at the time if graduation.

Penpushing also reports that, the plaintiff sought another order of the court to replace the candidate with one Jimi Lawal who came second in the primary election conducted by the party for nomination of Governorship candidate for Ogun State.

However, in his judgement, Justice Adeniyi, dismissed the suit and held that Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution cannot be invoked to disqualify the APC candidate because participation in the NYSC scheme is not a condition for qualification for governorship election.

The judge also held that the failure to include university education in the Form CF 001 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the candidate cannot be used to nullify his nomination because of the provision of the law that a minimum qualification of secondary school is required.

Penpushing also reports that, the judge pointed out that there was no consequences for Abiodun with his refusal to give details of his university education, adding that the case of the plaintiff is an academic exercise which has no bearing with qualifications for Governorship election under the constitution of the country.

The judge, therefore, held that the case of the plaintiff was unmeritorious and consequently dismissed it, and also affirmed that the Abuja High Court has jurisdiction to entertain the suit because the fact that brought about the case all emanated in Abuja while the suit was not statute Bar as claimed by the defendants.