A Kwara State High Court presided by Justice Adenike Akinpelu has adjourned till May 14 the case instituted against Kwara State governor-elect, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, concerning the authenticity of his West African Examination Council certificate.
The adjournment was to effect service on the defendant, teh court ruled.
The suit with number KWS /73/2019 was instituted against the governor-elect by one Adekunle Oluwafemi Abraham, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Apado Ward in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The claimant in his statement on oath said: “While examining the personal particulars of the defendant, he was curious about the purported West African Examination Council school certificate No. SC180683 purportedly dated June, 1976 of the defendant particularly, the way the defendant’s name is written as ‘RASAQ A R’ which, from my personal experience, the West African Examination Council as a standard examination body in West Africa does not normally abbreviate names on the school certificates issued by it.
“That the way and manner the defendant’s name appears on his purported West African Examination Council school certificate No. SC180683 dated June, 1976 raised my suspicion that the said West African Examination Council No. SC180683 dated June, 1976 could not have been issued by West African Examination Council and I reported my suspicion to my political party, Peoples Democratic Party, which promised to look into my complaint of my suspicion.
“That I also know as a fact that the defendant did not sit for West African Examination Council School Certificate and was therefore not issued with the purported West African Examination Council School Certificate No. SC180683 dated June, 1976 submitted to Independent National Electoral Commission by the defendant.
“The claimant in his statement of claim contended that “the West African Examination Council School Certificate No. SC180683 allegedly issued to the defendant by WAEC in June 1976 and submitted to INEC was a false document.
“The claimant shall apply to this honorable court to issue subpoena on West African Examination Council to produce the original of the said certificate.
“He further contended that the documents submitted by Abdulrazaq as his educational qualification was not issued by WAEC and thus, the defendant was not qualified to contest the office of Governor of Kwara State whose election will hold on Saturday.”
Abraham further urged the court to declare that the APC candidate lied on oath, submitted forged documents and stood disqualified from contesting the gubernatorial elections.
The plaintiff attached to the process filed before the court the forms and attached documents submitted to INEC by the APC gubernatorial candidate.
When the case came up for hearing on Thursday, counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Abdulrazak Gold, informed the court that Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, who is the Kwara State governor-elect and who is the defendant in the suit, could not be traced by the court bailiffs to be served with the documents of the suit in his known addresses.
The counsel, while praying the court to grant the plaintiff an adjournment, said that Abdulrazak could not yet be served with the notice of the suit by the bailiffs up till Thursday morning.
In his ruling, Justice Akinpelu adjourned the suit till Tuesday, May 14, 2019 to allow the plaintiff to serve the governor-elect with the court notice on the suit.
