February 13, 2008
Katsina Central Federal Constituency, the political domain of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the nation’s ‘servant leader’, has been rocked by legitimacy crisis sequel to the controversies trailing the emergence of Honourable Badamasi Kabir of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is also married to PresidentYar’adua’s first daughter as winner of the April 2007 elections into the Federal House of Representatives.
In the electoral processes that witnessed unprecedented manipulations, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), unconscientiously released the result that saw Badamasi the winner of the election into the Katsina Central Federal Constituency with the incredible 84, 076 votes, leaving Yusuf Sule Maiyawo of the ANPP with the second highest votes of 16, 351.
The petition filed by Yusuf Sule saw Badamasi Kabir, INEC, Katsina State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Katsina local government Area, Katsina Central Federal Constituency returning officer as respondents.
The petition was primarily hinged on allegations of certificate forgery by the first respondent, Kabir. He was petitioned to have submitted forged and fake primary school certificate and NCE statement of result to INEC.
Of course, the case could be rightly said to be grave considering the section 107(1) of 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which unambiguously stipulates that: “No person shall be qualified for election into a House of Assembly if he has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission”.
But, the do-or-die politics in the country has paved way for questionable and incompetent characters to remain key players on the political stage. Several cases of certificate forgery by some Nigerian political office holders are still fresh in memory. Nullification of elections by election petition tribunals, in recent times, has also revealed that the fate of the majority of electorate is in the hand of leaders with fake and forged credentials.
The tribunal sitting in Nasarawa state received accolades from justice-minded Nigerians for not hesitating to nullify the election of Mr. Yakubu Abdulhamid Kwara, member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly representing Wamba Constituency on the ground of age and certificate forgery.
This unfolding development incontrovertibly underscores two things. One, the Independent National Electoral Commission betrayed the present political generation by conducting elections that did not in the least reflect the true desires of the Nigerian people. Two, it is equally a pointer to the fact that the nation’s judiciary, in spite of its paper-tiger appearance, could still perform some wonders, all things being equal.
The general notion that judiciary is the arbiter of justice might have been the basis for which Yusuf Sule Maiyawo of the ANPP filed his petition at the tribunal. But unfortunately, not only Sule, but also all those who had hitherto reposed much trust and confidence in the judiciary, were in for a shocker by the outright manner in which justice was swept under the carpet as the judgement delivered by the tribunal on Friday, November 9, 2007 read that the petition was dismissed for want of evidence.
Did the petitioner really fail to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt as claimed by the tribunal? If yes, the tribunal would be vindicated for striking out the petition. If not, the verdict would put a question mark on the conscience and integrity of the judges involved.
Those who duly followed the case would recall that Honourable Badamasi Kabir was said to have presented to the INEC a 1978 primary school certificate purportedly obtained from Ambuttai Primary School. The certificate reads that Badamasi was the head boy of the school’s 1978 set. Not only that, the certificate bears the Katsina State Ministry of Education.
One begins to wonder how a 1978 certificate could bear the name of a state that was not in existence until 1987. The facts are available that the certificates obtained by all the pupils who graduated from Ambuttai Primary School in 1978 bear Kaduna state. Apart from this, is it not curious that Badamasi’s certificate does not have any official stamp?
The folly in that case was that Badamasi claimed to be the head boy of his set. But the school’s record has it that one Lawal Abdul was the head boy of the set. Or can a school have two head boys at a time? “That I attended Ambuttai Primary School from 1973 to 1978 and I was the head boy of the school in 1978 in class 6A. That the certificate number as well as the signature was at variance with my own. That I know the 1st respondent did not attend Ambuttai Primary School between 1973 to 1978 at all”, the statement of witness on oath made to the tribunal by the original head boy, Lawal Abdul, read.
The then headmaster of the school, Mallam Abdu B.K., made more revelations at the tribunal by stating that the signature on the first respondent’s certificate is not his (headmaster’s) and that the school never issued such a certificate during his tenure.
While it can be assumed that Badamasi’s primary school certificate was not manufactured in his house, the authorities of the Katsina state Ministry of Education need to explain how their ‘client’ got his certificate.
The peak of Badamasi’s alleged forgery was his claim to have attended the Federal College of Education, Katsina, between 1984 and 1988. He only submitted a statement of result to the INEC. But what explanation does he have for having not obtained his certificate almost 19 years after graduation?
Is it not ridiculous that the authorities of the college who were supposedly in a position to clarify the issue also played to the gallery? At the tribunal, the Provost claimed that Badamasi’s academic record file was missing. Also, a copy of the admission letter issued to their former ‘student’ (Badamasi) could also not be found. Does it mean that the college administrative system was so porous that vital records needed to verify one’s studentship can disappear? In fact on what ground was he offered admission, if at all he was offered one, since he had f9 flat in all the six GCE subjects he sat for in 1984, which resulted in his not being given any GCE certificate as tendered before the tribunal
The Iwu’s INEC can also not be exonerated from this shoddy deal for it is worrisome how the Commission could declare Badamasi qualified to run for the election without verifying the certificates he presented.
Alas! The tribunal claimed that the petition lacks reasonable evidence. Does it mean that certificate forgery has some exceptions? Where is the conscience of those judges that handled the case? Did they fear to nullify the election victory of Babamasi (the Katsina Emir’s son and President Yar’Adua’s son-in-law)?
Since the petitioner has decided to seek redress in the appeal court, well-meaning Nigerians are poised to see whether the judiciary will uncover the big cover-up of the tribunal’s verdict.
In the electoral processes that witnessed unprecedented manipulations, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), unconscientiously released the result that saw Badamasi the winner of the election into the Katsina Central Federal Constituency with the incredible 84, 076 votes, leaving Yusuf Sule Maiyawo of the ANPP with the second highest votes of 16, 351.
The petition filed by Yusuf Sule saw Badamasi Kabir, INEC, Katsina State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Katsina local government Area, Katsina Central Federal Constituency returning officer as respondents.
The petition was primarily hinged on allegations of certificate forgery by the first respondent, Kabir. He was petitioned to have submitted forged and fake primary school certificate and NCE statement of result to INEC.
Of course, the case could be rightly said to be grave considering the section 107(1) of 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which unambiguously stipulates that: “No person shall be qualified for election into a House of Assembly if he has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission”.
But, the do-or-die politics in the country has paved way for questionable and incompetent characters to remain key players on the political stage. Several cases of certificate forgery by some Nigerian political office holders are still fresh in memory. Nullification of elections by election petition tribunals, in recent times, has also revealed that the fate of the majority of electorate is in the hand of leaders with fake and forged credentials.
The tribunal sitting in Nasarawa state received accolades from justice-minded Nigerians for not hesitating to nullify the election of Mr. Yakubu Abdulhamid Kwara, member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly representing Wamba Constituency on the ground of age and certificate forgery.
This unfolding development incontrovertibly underscores two things. One, the Independent National Electoral Commission betrayed the present political generation by conducting elections that did not in the least reflect the true desires of the Nigerian people. Two, it is equally a pointer to the fact that the nation’s judiciary, in spite of its paper-tiger appearance, could still perform some wonders, all things being equal.
The general notion that judiciary is the arbiter of justice might have been the basis for which Yusuf Sule Maiyawo of the ANPP filed his petition at the tribunal. But unfortunately, not only Sule, but also all those who had hitherto reposed much trust and confidence in the judiciary, were in for a shocker by the outright manner in which justice was swept under the carpet as the judgement delivered by the tribunal on Friday, November 9, 2007 read that the petition was dismissed for want of evidence.
Did the petitioner really fail to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt as claimed by the tribunal? If yes, the tribunal would be vindicated for striking out the petition. If not, the verdict would put a question mark on the conscience and integrity of the judges involved.
Those who duly followed the case would recall that Honourable Badamasi Kabir was said to have presented to the INEC a 1978 primary school certificate purportedly obtained from Ambuttai Primary School. The certificate reads that Badamasi was the head boy of the school’s 1978 set. Not only that, the certificate bears the Katsina State Ministry of Education.
One begins to wonder how a 1978 certificate could bear the name of a state that was not in existence until 1987. The facts are available that the certificates obtained by all the pupils who graduated from Ambuttai Primary School in 1978 bear Kaduna state. Apart from this, is it not curious that Badamasi’s certificate does not have any official stamp?
The folly in that case was that Badamasi claimed to be the head boy of his set. But the school’s record has it that one Lawal Abdul was the head boy of the set. Or can a school have two head boys at a time? “That I attended Ambuttai Primary School from 1973 to 1978 and I was the head boy of the school in 1978 in class 6A. That the certificate number as well as the signature was at variance with my own. That I know the 1st respondent did not attend Ambuttai Primary School between 1973 to 1978 at all”, the statement of witness on oath made to the tribunal by the original head boy, Lawal Abdul, read.
The then headmaster of the school, Mallam Abdu B.K., made more revelations at the tribunal by stating that the signature on the first respondent’s certificate is not his (headmaster’s) and that the school never issued such a certificate during his tenure.
While it can be assumed that Badamasi’s primary school certificate was not manufactured in his house, the authorities of the Katsina state Ministry of Education need to explain how their ‘client’ got his certificate.
The peak of Badamasi’s alleged forgery was his claim to have attended the Federal College of Education, Katsina, between 1984 and 1988. He only submitted a statement of result to the INEC. But what explanation does he have for having not obtained his certificate almost 19 years after graduation?
Is it not ridiculous that the authorities of the college who were supposedly in a position to clarify the issue also played to the gallery? At the tribunal, the Provost claimed that Badamasi’s academic record file was missing. Also, a copy of the admission letter issued to their former ‘student’ (Badamasi) could also not be found. Does it mean that the college administrative system was so porous that vital records needed to verify one’s studentship can disappear? In fact on what ground was he offered admission, if at all he was offered one, since he had f9 flat in all the six GCE subjects he sat for in 1984, which resulted in his not being given any GCE certificate as tendered before the tribunal
The Iwu’s INEC can also not be exonerated from this shoddy deal for it is worrisome how the Commission could declare Badamasi qualified to run for the election without verifying the certificates he presented.
Alas! The tribunal claimed that the petition lacks reasonable evidence. Does it mean that certificate forgery has some exceptions? Where is the conscience of those judges that handled the case? Did they fear to nullify the election victory of Babamasi (the Katsina Emir’s son and President Yar’Adua’s son-in-law)?
Since the petitioner has decided to seek redress in the appeal court, well-meaning Nigerians are poised to see whether the judiciary will uncover the big cover-up of the tribunal’s verdict.
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