A principal witness, Abdul Saleh, has told the Jos division of the Federal High Court that the erstwhile deputy speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Baba-Hassan, has certificates required to contest in an election.
The witness testified to close his case pending before Justice Musa Kurya, alleging falsification of diploma certificate By Mr Baba-Hassan, as presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the 2015 elections.
Recall that Mr Saleh, who contested the 2014 Primary elections and lost to Mr Baba-Hassan, is challenging the lawmaker, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, being 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants over falsification of academic credentials.
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During the Friday’s proceeding, the witness had told the court that: “I deposed in paragraph 11 of my statements of oat that the first defendant has presented a false certificate to INEC.”
Mr Saleh, when asked during cross-examination by defence Counsel to the 1st defendant, Solomon Umoh (SAN), said he instituted the suit in March 2015, after losing the primary election to Mr Baba-Hassan.
“I deposed in my paragraph 10 that Ibrahim Baba-Hassan does not have the necessary constitutional qualification to contest,” he deposed.
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However, the plaintiff further said he recognized the primary, secondary and degree certificates of the 1st defendant as being authentic.
His own contention, however, remains that Mr Baba-Hassan’s Diploma certificate with which he pursued his degree program at the University of Jos, is still fake.
Recall that the Registrar of the University of Jos had earlier testified before the court that Mr Baba-Hassan actually graduated from the institution but could not tell whether he did so without failing some courses.
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However, Justice Musa Kurya adjourned the case till 14, January, 2019 for the adoption of a motion on notice seeking to amend defence as filed by the defendant counsel Solomon Umoh SAN.
