The intrigues over who clinches the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the September governorship election in Edo State deepened yesterday with pressure on the ruling party to disqualify the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, from the race.

The pressure came against the backdrop of the unexplained inconsistencies in his certificates, which were among those the party displayed yesterday at its national secretariat in Abuja.

THISDAY learnt those pushing for Obaseki’s debarment told the APC leadership that given the unexplained inconsistencies in his certificates, the party would be faced with a likely repeat of its experience in Bayelsa State where it won the last November governorship election but its candidate, David Lyon, was stopped on the eve of his inauguration following a judgment of the Supreme Court that voided his election.

A five-man panel of the court, led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili, had overruled the declaration of Lyon along with his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, as winner of the governorship election.

It had upheld the November 12, 2019 judgement by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had disqualified Degi-Eremienyo in the election for submitting forged certificates with multiple names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Supreme Court had ordered INEC to issue fresh certificates to the candidates of the party with the next highest votes and with the required constitutional spread of votes in the results of the election, which are the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Among the inconsistencies cited in Obaseki’s certificates are that his O/Level results showed that he has three credits but despite that he spent only three years to allegedly bagged a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Studies from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, in 1976, without an A/Level result.

A/Levels are required for a three-year direct entry course in Nigerian universities. If you have O/Level credits in at least five subjects, then University of Ibadan and a indeed other universities required a mandatory four-year course. The question APC is dealing with include: could three O/Level credits/passes have given Obaseki admission into University of Ibadan as required by law? And if indeed, he got the admission, could he have graduated in three years instead of mandatory four years? Would APC not be facing another Bayelsa scenario when the NWC was blamed for fielding a candidate with a dubious certificate?

Besides, there’s a discrepancy in his degree certificate and that of another governorship aspirant, Mr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, who graduated the same year in University of Ibadan with a Postgraduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering.

In a petition to the Chairman of the Screening Committee for Edo State Gubernatorial Election, some concerned members of APC in the state, Mr. Edobor Williams, Ugbesia Godwin and Amedu Anakhu, warned that the party would be risking another Bayelsa scenario if Obaseki is not disqualified.

In the petition, they said their action was borne out of their passion for APC’s success in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

In the petition, dated June 8, 2020 and entitled: ‘Petition For The Disqualification of Godwin Obaseki from Participating in the Gubernatorial Primary Election For Edo State, signed on their behalf by their lawyer, Mr. Chisimdi Chima, the petitioners said their findings after a thorough checks on the governor’s background revealed that in 2016, he submitted a false affidavit to INEC to aid his qualification for the then governorship election.

According to them, PDP, which had suspected foul play over the documents submitted to INEC, had approached an Abuja High Court for a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the affidavit of loss of document Obaseki had presented in his form CF 001 to INEC in 2016.

The petitioners said in response to PDP’s request, the Abuja High Court denied issuing any affidavit to the governor.

Based on the above, the petitioners stated that the letter of the court to PDP dated September 28, 2016, “clearly established the element of false affidavit on the part of Godwin Obaseki, which makes him disqualified.”

The petitioners added: “Any political party that fields such a disqualified candidate would be fined under section 31( 8 ) of the Electoral Act.”

The trio said they wanted Obaseki investigated for allegedly falsifying a public document and submitting same to INEC for official use following the governor’s interest in participating in the forthcoming governorship election.

They also called for Obaseki to be investigated over his alleged academic qualifications, which he submitted to INEC in 2016.

They said: “The problem with Obaseki educational history is that it appears fraudulent as no explanation has been reasonably offered why a four-year academic progamme was completed in three years against the established course requirement for the completion of a degree programme in Classical Studies.”

According to them, the governor claimed that he obtained a degree in Classical Studies from the University of Ibadan in three years after gaining admission from Eghosa Grammar School with only three credit pass in his Ordinary Level certificate.

“It is indeed very questionable when one imagines how Mr. Obaseki secured the admission into University of Ibadan with just three credit pass in his ordinary level certificate at a time when the educational system was purely on merit,” they stated.

While they noted that the three-year degree programme was, and is still applicable to only students with Advanced Level certificate/Diploma/National Certificate of Education, they said the governor never showed that he possessed an A’Level certificate to qualify for a three-year programme.

They therefore prayed the screening committee to disqualify Obaseki for alleged falsehood.

Attached to the petition include copies of the sworn affidavit dated June 7, 2016, letter from Chief Ferdinand Orbih SAN, September 2, 2016, letter from the FCT High Court, dated October 28, 2016, Form CF 001 submitted to INEC on July 12, 2016 and University of Ibadan revised/new requirements for U.T.M.E and direct entry.

The petitioners also compared Obaseki’s University of Ibadan certificate with that of Ogiemwonyi, who graduated from the school the same year – 1976, saying there are conspicuous differences.

They noted that while Obaseki’s certificate was signed by just the vice chancellor, Ogiemwonyi’s was signed by both the vice chancellor and the registrar of the institution.

The petitioners are already before the Federal High Court in Abuja, to contest the genuineness of the governor’s credentials.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/06/09/pressure-mounts-on-apc-to-disqualify-obaseki-from-governorship-race/

Lesson.... From thisday comment section


The bigger lesson in this for all is that, you should be careful who you take into your confidence today, they may turn enemies tomorrow. Those who helped them to forge results years ago are the same ones pointing the way to where the evidence lies today.

IS THAT SO?

That's politics for you. Tomorrow, he decamps to PDP and will be welcome gladly. He calls APC all sorts of names. Naija Politics for you



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I will vie for Ize Iyamu because what Edo need now is a governor from Orhionmwon LG. This is the biggest yet the most underdeveloped LG in Edo State.

Obaseki should be disqualified ASAP...he can recontest in future when his certification has been clarified.
Edo cannot afford another PDP in d state.

I have always known obaseki to be a glorified idiot. take it or leave it
ok bye

There will be a great danger if Obaseki is disqualified or lost the primary

Those leave in glass' House should not throw stones .It is left to them .Big shame!!!!! Uneducated Governor or president is now giving a professor the directive on what to do .what I observed as Nigeria's problem is !!!! We focused more on WEALTH than VALUES

adekolaelect:
Those leave in glass' House should not throw stones .It is them them .Big shame!!!!! a certificate less Governor or president is now who is giving a processor the directive on what to do .what I observed as Nigeria's problem is !!!! We focused more on WEALTH than VALUES

Check your post and amend

Dear heavenly father we are tired about the more you look the less you see abracadabra going on in this country.

Please settle this matter for us.

ican2020:

Check your post and amend

thanks !!!!Amended .

Ugly Obaseki deserves to be disqualified. He spend 4 years as a Governor with only 2 projects which are local government standand.

I support his disqualification from participating in the primaries.

Obviously with recent Supreme Court ruling, our democracy has moved a notch higher in terms of integrity and clarity of credentials of candidates for elections and even political appointments. Inconsistencies in names, age and dates will kill aspirations.

Soon and very soon, potential political candidates will also answer for careless posts on social media.

Obaseki really messed himself up. I wonder who advised him to fight dirty with Oshiomhole even before securing a second term. Now even Buhari and his fellow governors may not be able to save him if this allegation turns out to be true.

Ok

jidamsel43:
There will be a great danger if Obaseki is disqualified or lost the primary

What danger?
Can you do me a favor, kindly mention 10 projects Ugly Obaseki did in Edo state in the last 4 years?

There is no need to disqualify him

Direct primary will do the trick

Politic indeed is a dirty game

helinues:
There is no need to disqualify him

Direct primary will do the trick

He can Scape through Direct Primary because he as the support of Benin people but this issue of disqualification will bury him politically if they succeed since there will not be any political appointment and may even be charge for forging court affidavit

Stakeholders:


He can Scape through Direct Primary because he as the support of Benin people but this issue of disqualification will bury him politically if they succeed since there will not be any political appointment and may even be charge for forging court affidavit

Which people of Benin?

Obaseki has no political base in Edo State... He would have bought his way if they would be having indirect primary ( Delegates) but in this case, Representatives from wards are the one voting.( Direct primary)..

osizi06:
I will vie for Ize Iyamu because what Edo need now is a governor from Orhionmwon LG. This is the biggest yet the most underdeveloped LG in Edo State.

Ize iyamu that has loads of litigations to attend to.

So he have inconsistent certificate issues yet Adams Oshiomole and the APC bypassed and concealed it for him in 2016 to become governor.Now that they're sworn enemies, scrutinization of certificates comes to play.This is nothing but hypocrisy.

festacman:
Obviously with recent Supreme Court ruling, our democracy has moved a notch higher in terms of integrity and clarity of credentials of candidates for elections and even political appointments. Inconsistencies in names, age and years will kill aspirations.

Soon and very soon, potential political candidates will also answer for careless posts on social media.

I concur

EcoBrick:
Obaseki really messed himself up. I wonder who advised him to fight dirty with Oshiomhole even before securing a second term. Now even Buhari and his fellow governors may not be able to save him if this allegation turns out to be true.

Which allegations?.Obasekis credentials are intact UI and NYSC have attested to that.

moderatedguy:
Which allegations?.Obasekis credentials are intact UI and NYSC have attested to that.

liar where is the link to your source.

Like UI gave admission to 3 credit instead of constitutional five.
He finished a four years course in 3 years

Now that the discrepancy is not out to the public he is not useful to any political party

Racoon:
So he have inconsistent certificate issues yet Adams Oshiomole and the APC bypassed and concealed it for him in 2016 to become governor.Now that they're sworn enemies, scrutinization of certificates comes to play.This is nothing but hypocrisy.

hello sir,
take it easy, that's politics for you.
even in politics obaseki has no certificate expect affidavit and he is publicly challenging a Ph D holder in politics. what a shame.

Does Obaseki have an undergraduate certificate? If he does, that puts paid to the availability or lack of A Level results thereof.

If the credentials have not been sent to INEC, it may be useful for Obaseki to present only his O Level certificate.

That said, Obaseki's opponents seek to thoroughly mess him up until he becomes a liability to any party he plans to defect to. Governor Obaseki, always have a plan B.

Bighead9:
Ugly Obaseki deserves to be disqualified. He spend 4 years as a Governor with only 2 projects which are local government standand.

I support his disqualification from participating in the primaries.

You are wicked!