Judge’s Ill-health Stalls Hearing In APC’s Suit Seeking Obaseki’s Removal

THE planned resumption of hearing in the suit seeking the sack of Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki was stalled on Thursday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, following the complaint of ill-health by the trial judge.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed had, on Wednesday, adjourned till yesterday for the defence to cross-examine the fourth plaintiffs’ witness in the suit filed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) and one of its members, Edobor Williams.

The party and Williams are querying, among others, the authenticity of Obaseki’s academic credentials, particularly his first degree certificate which he claimed to have obtained from the University of Ibadan (UI).

Defendants in the case are: Obaseki, his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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At the mention of the case around 2 p.m yesterday, Justice Mohammed announced that he was feeling unwell and had undertaken blood test before the court’s sitting.

The judge said, while awaiting the result of the test, he could conduct proceedings for one hour to afford the plaintiffs the opportunity to close their case, a suggestion plaintiffs’ lead lawyer, Akin Olujinmi (SAN), did not object to.

But, lawyers to Obaseki and the PDP, Ken Mozia (SAN) and Razaq Isenalumhe, said they would prefer that the judge adjourn till Monday to enable him attend to his health.

Mozia, Isenalumhe and lawyer to INEC, S. M. Danbaba, advised the judge to attend to his health, but that proceedings should resume early on Monday to enable the parties cover any lost ground.

Olujinmi later agreed with the other lawyers that the hearing be rescheduled for January 4, 2021, but that proceedings should begin on time.

Ruling, Justice Mohammed said the earlier scheduled hearing could no longer hold because he was battling malaria.

The judge adjourned till January 4, 2021 for the defence to cross-examine the PW3 – Raphael Onwuzuligbo Amachukwu (a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police and Forensic Document Examiner), through whom the plaintiffs, on Wednesday, tendered a report of forensic evaluation of copies of the university certificate allegedly submitted to INEC by Obaseki.

Earlier yesterday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja had rejected the APC’s objection to two applications filed by Edo State Deputy Governor Phillips Shuaib.

In two separate rulings, a three-man panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Stephen Adah, granted the applications filed by Mozia for Shuaib in relation to the appeal the Deputy Governor filed against an earlier decision by Justice Mohammed in a sister suit by APC at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The APC is, in the suit, challenging among others, the authenticity of the tax clearance and University of Jos (UNIJOS) certificates that Shuaib submitted to INEC.

In the first ruling, the Appeal Court granted Shuaib’s application for leave to regularise the records of appeal and additional records he compiled and deemed the appellant’s brief he filed, as properly filed.

In the second ruling, the Appeal Court granted Shuaib’s application for accelerated hearing and abridgment of time for the respondents to file their reply briefs in relation to his appeal.

The Appeal Court adjourned till January 7, 2021, for hearing of Shuaib’s appeal.

NATION