Benue Governor’s Rival Can’t Prove Allegation In Court

The candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in the April 2011 governorship election in Benue State, Professor Daniel Saror, on Tuesday 24 January was unable to present the alleged forged certificate result he claimed Governor Gabriel Suswam possesses, at the governorship election tribunal sitting in Makurdi.

The ANPP candidate had headed for the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to challenge the election of Governor Suswam in the last election and had anchored one of his petitions on the issue of certificate forgery by the respondent.

During the cross-examination at the tribunal chaired by Justice Halima Mohammed , the state party secretary of the ruling PDP in the state, Bem Dzoho in his defence maintained that there was no part of the form CF001 where it was demanded for the attachment of certificates by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC for candidates gunning for governorship election.

The ANPP candidate and one time senate minority leader had earlier in his evidence given three sources of information to support his claim that Governor Suswam did not have the required minimum qualification to contest the April poll and that he forged his certificate.

In his evidence before the tribunal Tuesday , the ANPP candidate presented documents from the INEC, national library and Federal high court to buttress his claims, which were later admitted by the tribunal.

The documents, according to him, include, Form CF001 from INEC, certified copies of power steering magazines and National Life paper from national library and proceedings of the Federal High Court involving the governor and Terveh Kaaki.

During cross-examination of the ANPP candidate by the governor’s counsel, D C Demingwe, Saror said that though there was no portion in the INEC form where it was demanded that certificate be attached, it was a constitutional provision that any candidate gunning for such elective office must possess the minimum certificate.

He added that all efforts to get the certificate of the governor from both INEC and WAEC were not successful as they refused.

In his own defencee, the state secretary of the PDP who was cross-examined by the governor’s lead counsel, Mr Domian Dodo (SAN) submitted that all the processes were done in his office and that there was no portion in the CF001 INEC form demanding for the attachment of the certificate.

During the proceedings there was a mild drama when the PDP State secretary was being cross-examined by the ANPP counsel, Barr Chris Orpin who noticed that the judges were not recording his cross examination.

One of the judges asked him to restrict his questions to the case before the tribunal but the counsel later concluded his cross-examination in a fit of anger .

The Chairman of the Tribunal , Justice Halima Mohammed later adjourned sitting till 9 February for adoption of written addresses by counsel to parties involved in the case.

— Ubong George/Makurdi