Supreme Court restores court decision on lawmaker’s certificate forgery case

The Supreme Court has restored a judgment of Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja that nullified the candidature of Christian Abba in the 2015 National Assembly election of Benue State. The said Federal High Court judgment had, among others, recommended the arrest and prosecution of Abba by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on account of certificate forgery.


 It would be recalled that a Court of Appeal judgment had, after the High Court decision, recognized Abba as the People’s Democratic (PDP) candidate in the disputed Okpokwu, Ado and Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of the Benue State House of Representatives seat, was set aside by the Apex Court, which upheld the High Court judgment in its place.

 Justice Sidi Dauda Bage, who delivered judgment in an appeal filed by Hassan Anthony Saleh, upheld his nomination as the candidate of the party in the 2015 National Assembly election. The court said that Nigeria would be doomed when certificate forgers are allowed to take center stage in the elections for political offices.

 The court also said that Abah must not be allowed to have his way because he has had his hands soiled in an established certificate forgery. Abah, who was a respondent in the legal tussle, was confirmed by the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi in Adamawa State to have forged a National Diploma certificate in Accountancy upon which he was forced to withdraw from the same race in 2011 but secured PDP ticket in the 2014 PDP primary election.

 The apex court nullified the nomination of Abba and ordered that the clearance issued to him by PDP for the National Assembly election must be withdrawn. The Supreme Court ordered the ticket be delivered to Hassan Anthony Saleh, who came second in the primary election.