ABU, INEC, NECO Testify against Senator over Certificate Scandal

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, has presented six witnesses to challenge the victory and qualifications of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate, Lawal Adamu (referred to as Mr. La).

The three-man panel, led by Justice HH Kereng, heard testimonies from witnesses sourced from the former schools of the PDP candidate and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The first witness, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU), was represented by a member of the university legal team and an Associate Professor Abubakar Is’haq from the Faculty of Law. 

The university was subpoenaed to provide records of files of Lawal Adamu while he was a student of the institution. 

The second witness, National Examination Council (NECO), represented by the Director of Special Duties, Esther Bala-Wuyaa, presented certified result confirmation to the court.

 The third witness that testified against the senator was Demonstration Primary School through the Head Teacher of the School, Dr. Ibrahim Yusuf.

The school tendered to the court the school registration records from 1982 to 1986, which showed no record of Lawal Adamu Usman as student as he claimed in the documents he submitted to INEC prior to the 2023 general elections.

Also testifying, the Principal of Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Gwagwalada, Bello Suleiman told the tribunal that based on available records at the school, there was no candidate with the name of Lawal Adamu Usman from the year 1986 to 1994 as claimed by Senator Lawal Adamu Usman as submitted to Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in form CF001 for the 2023 general election. 

Two additional witnesses including INEC representative were called upon following the issuance of subpoenas by the court through the petitioner’s Counsel, Johnson Usman SAN.

During the tribunal proceedings, Counsel to the first respondent, M.A Magaji (SAN) cross-examined all the witnesses with no objections.

Responding to queries from journalists shortly after the court sitting, Johnson Usman (SAN), counsel to Muhammad Sani Abdullahi of the APC, explained that one of the grounds for the petition was the first respondents qualification to contest election given his presentation of forged certificates, and also substantial non compliance with the electoral act.

All schools that testified, submitted their school registers to the court as evidence. The tribunal adjourned sitting to July 11 for continuation of admission of additional witnesses of certificate forgeries against the defendant.