The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday adjourned till November 18, the hearing in a suit seeking to disqualify the Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, as a candidate, in the last election in the state.
The suit was jointly filed against Obaseki by the All Progressives Congress, and Edobor Williams, both of whom accused the governor of forging his university certificate which he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission to aid his qualification for the September 19, 2020 governorship election.
Obaseki, who defected from the APC following the party’s refusal to grant him a return ticket, contested the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, and emerged victorious
He defeated APC’s candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and others, in the keenly contested poll. The governor was subsequently sworn in for his second term in office on Thursday.
But the APC and its co-plaintiff have continued to pursue the pre-election suit against him. Justice Ahmed Mohammed had on November 4 adjourned the case till Monday, he further adjourned the case till Wednesday.
The adjournment followed a submission by Obaseki’s lawyer, Mr. Ken Mozia (SAN), to the effect that some pending motions must first be resolved before going into the substantive matter
The governor’s lawyer specifically asked the court to allow him to move his motion challenging the competence of the reply filed by the APC to his client’s defence.
PDP’s lawyer, Razak Isenalumhe, aligned himself with Obaseki’s lawyer’s position.
Although APC’s lawyer, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), objected, Justice Mohammed agreed with Obaseki’s lawyer, and subsequently fixed November 18 for hearing the pending motions.
The Punch
