October 11, (THEWILL) – Ahead of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Andy Ubah, has been dragged to court over the school certificate he allegedly submitted for the election.
Joined in the suit are the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
THEWILL reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had released the final list of candidates to participate in the November 6 Anambra election last week .
However, in a suit, no FHC/ABJ/CS/1211/2021, filled on October 8, 2021, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, a political party participating in the election alleged that the Form EC9 submitted by the APC (1st respondent) and Uba (2nd respondent) to INEC (3rd respondent) was full of false information.
According to the political party, in its affidavit in support of Originating Summons, the Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 1974 Statement of Result purportedly issued by Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State under the Enugu State School System and allegedly bearing the name of Uba Emmanuel Nnamdi with Candidate Number 05465/089 is false.
It said that in 1974 when Uba left secondary school, the WAEC (4th respondent) did not conduct Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), but “only commenced the conduct of Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) sometimes in 1988 under the 6-3-3-4 System of Education adopted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The political said WAEC conducted General Certificate of Education (GCE) in May/June 1974 and even up to 1978, which is at variance with the Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 1974 Statement of Result purportedly issued by Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State under the Enugu State School System” and allegedly submitted by Ubah.
It also said the claims in the certificate, allegedly submitted by Uba, that the examination was conducted under the Enugu State school system in 1974 was also false as Enugu State was only created in 1991.
“Enugu State was not yet created in 1974 when the 2nd Respondent (Uba) left secondary school but was created in August 1991″, the political said, while also submitting that “the purported Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 1974 Statement of Result purportedly issued by Union Secondary School Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State under the Enugu State School System” and allegedly submitted by Uba to INEC in Form EC9 as qualifying him to contest the 2021 Anambra State gubernatorial election is false.
It, therefore, wants the court, in its originating summons brought pursuant to Section 182(1)(j) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and Section 3195) & (6) of the amended Electoral Act, 2011, to determine whether WAEC (4th respondent) or any other examination body conducted Senior School Certificate Examination in May/June 1974 at Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria for Uba with Examination Number 05465/089.
The political party also wants the court to determine “whether the 4th Respondent (WAEC) through Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State under the Enugu State School System validly issued a Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 1974 to Uba Emmanuel Nnamdi with Candidate Number 05465/089.”
It, therefore, seeks a declaration that the Senior School Certificate Examination, May/June 1974 Statement of Result allegedly issued by WAEC “through Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State to Uba Emmanuel Nnamdi with candidate number 05465/089 submitted by the 1st and 2nd Respondents to the 3rd Respondent for the 2021 Anambra State gubernatorial election is false.
“A declaration that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) did not conduct Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in May/June 1974 but conducted the General Certificate of Education (GCE) in May/June 1974”, the suit stated.
The political party also want a declaration that the 1st and 2nd Respondent’s act of allegedly “submitting to the 3rd Respondent, a Senior School Certificate Examination, May/June 1974 Statement of Result purportedly issued by the 4th Respondent through Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State to Uba Emmanuel Nnamdi with candidate number 05465/089 constitutes giving false information to the 3rd Respondent and a breach of Section 182(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended as well as Section 31(6) of the Electoral Act as amended.”
It, therefore, asked the court for an order disqualifying Uba from contesting the 2021 Anambra State gubernatorial election for allegedly giving false information to INEC.
Also, the political party wants the court to give an order for the delisting of APC in the ballot party for the November 6, 2021 governorship election.
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