Deputy Registrar of Yaba College of Technology (YABAtech) Olufunmi Dada, yesterday told the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos that the Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate presented by All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Surulere Constituency II, Mrs. Mosunmola Sangodara, was not issued by the school.
Mr. Dada, who made the allegation while testifying as a witness before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, said the candidate did not graduate from the school as an HND holder.
But Sangodara averred in her statement of defence that she graduated from the school, having completed her course at YABAtech in 1996.
The suit was filed by APC aspirant, Mr. Olasunkanmi Shittu, seeking to disqualify Sangodara.
Dada, led in evidence by Dr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), with Adebowale Kamoru, tendered the school’s graduation list for 1992 and 1997 session with the name of the defendant not there.
Dada alleged that the defendant’s National Youth Service Corps. (NYSC) exemption letter was forged and non-existent in the NYSC list for that period.
During cross-examination by defendant’s counsel, Adebisi Oridare, on why the convocation list of 1995/1996 was missing, the witness said two sessions were merged; 1994/1995 and 1995/1996 sessions
Counsel to the third defendant, Mr S.O. Ibrahim, said Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was interested in the case, adding the convocation lists of 1995/1996 session ought to have come under a separate heading.
The judge directed West African Examination Council (WAEC) to file a witness statement on oath as ordered in the subpoena served on them.
Further proceeding resumes today.
Shittu, the plaintiff, is praying the court to disqualify Sangodara and declare him as APC candidate for next year’s election.
He is seeking, among others: “A declaration that the information contained in the Affidavit in Support of Personal Particulars (Form EC9) deposed to by the second defendant and submitted to the first defendant in support of the second defendant’s nomination is false.
“An order that the plaintiff, being the candidate with the second highest votes at the third defendant’s primary election, be declared as the candidate of the third defendant to contest the membership of Lagos State House of Assembly to represent Surulere Constituency 2 in the 2023 House of Assembly election.
“An order of perpetual injunction mandating the first defendant to remove from its published List of Candidates for the 2023 House of Assembly election, the name of the second defendant and replace same with the name of the plaintiff.”
But the second and third defendants – Sangodara and APC – prayed the court to strike out the suit on the grounds, among others, that the suit was “frivolous, vexatious, malicious, lacking in merit and orchestrated by enemies of the party to steal by the backdoor the mandate given to the second defendant through a democratically organised process.”
They further averred in their August 22 statement that “the second defendant neither gave false information nor presented forged certificates as was wrongly alleged by the plaintiff.
According to them, the second defendant completed her course in YABAtech in 1996 and her duration in YABAtech was between 1991 and 1996 and not 1994 to 1996 “as wrongly alleged by the plaintiff.
“The second and third defendants further averred that allegation of forgery is criminal in nature and by law requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The plaintiff is put to the strictest proof of the averment.”
Source: The Nation
