BEVERLY HILLS, April 2, (THEWILL) – Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Osun State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presented a falsified school certificate result to INEC to qualify as candidate in the election, an Abuja High Court ruled Tuesday.
Justice Oathman Musa, who said Adeleke did not qualify to seek the office, nullified his nomination as candidate of the main opposition party in the September 22, 2018 governorship election.
The court ruled that Adeleke, who presently represents Osun West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, presented a certificate that is fraught with discrepancies and inconsistencies.
Wahab Raheem and Adam Habeeb, members of All Progressives Congress (APC), in 2018 lodged the complaint before the court, few days to the governorship election.
They accused the politician of not possessing the requisite educational qualification (secondary school certificate) to contest for the office of governor and prayed the court to disqualify him from participating in the Sept 22 governorship election.
Adeleke’s nomination, according to the judge, breached Section 177 of the 1999 constitution as amended, which stipulates that candidates for the position of governor must be educated up to secondary school level.
According to Justice Musa, while the court’s findings showed that Adeleke entered secondary school in 1976, there was no record to show that he actually graduated, as his name was no longer seen in the school’s register from 1980.
Justice Musa further stated that the result Adeleke attached to his form CF001 which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was fake, as it was found to be different from the one presented to the court by the principal of Ede Muslim High School, Ede, Osun State.
While the matter was in court Adeleke contested the election and was defeated by Mr. Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in a supplementary election following a stalemate in the main poll.
He then took his case to the Osun state governorship election petition tribunal which overturned Oyetola’s victory.
Oyetola has however appealed the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
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