Court Dismisses Certificate Forgery Case Against Governor Abubakar Bello Of Niger State

A Federal High Court sitting in Minna has dismissed a certificate forgery case filed by the Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Governor Abubakar Bello and his deputy, Ahmed Ketso.  

This comes barely 72 hours after the court had dismissed the suit filed by the opposition PDP challenging the eligibility of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), The court presided by Justice Aminu Aliyu upheld the objections of the defendants that the suit having been filed outside 14 days is contrary to the intendment of section 285 (9) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) is statute barred and therefore dismissed.

The PDP secretary Mohammed Zhigun in a suit number FHC/cs/mn/04/19 filed 11th of February 2019, had alleged that both Governor Abubakar Bello and his deputy had presented forged certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).  

He filed the suit as an individual even though his party, the PDP had filed its own separate suit alleging the same offence. Expressing their views, counsel to the governor and the deputy governor, Mr Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) stated that the case against his client is nothing but meant for political amusement and states further that from on-set, the plaintiff set out on a mission that he knew was fruitless.  

On his part, counsel APC Yunus Usman (SAN) stated that he is satisfied with the judgment and noted that the case was bound to fail on all sides. While counsel to INEC Johnson Usmann said that he is satisfied with the judgment.

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