There was confusion at the Kebbi State election petition Tribunal as the witness called by the Deputy Governor, Abubakar Umar, to prove that he did not forge a WAEC certificate he said he obtained from Sultan Abubakar College Sokoto testified against him.
The said classmate in a shocking turn of events told the court that he and the Deputy Governor were both expelled from the school and never got to sit for their WAEC in the school.
In another shocking espouse, the Principal of the said school come to court to tender about 15 documents showing that the Deputy Governor never graduated from the school.
Aminula Umar, who claims to be a former classmate of the Deputy Governor during their school days at Sultan Abubakar College Sokoto, while being cross examined at the tribunal by the respondent’s and petitioner’s counsels, the classmate said that he and the deputy governor did not sit for examination in the school in 1979 because they were expelled.
He was called as witness as the deputy governor, Abubakar Umar Tafida was closing his defence at the tribunal in the petition filed by the PDP’s Governorship Candidate, Major General Aminu Bande (rtd), who is challenging the victory of the APC’s Governorship Candidate, Nasiru Idris and his Deputy Umar Abubakar Tafida.
The PDP candidate in his petition has joined Governor Nasiru Idris, his Deputy, Umar Abubakar Tafida, INEC and APC in the suit before the tribunal.
The lead counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Ibrahim K. Bawa (SAN) while cross examining the classmate of the deputy governor, argued that the classmate in one breath said he and the Deputy governor did not write But in his statement on oath he said that they both completed their secondary education at Sultan Abubakar College in Sokoto and that the deputy governorwas not expelled.
The counsel further asked the deputy governor’s witness to choose what he wants the tribunal to believe: whether on the statement he made on oath or documents indicating they both graduated in 1979 and another document and testimony saying he and the deputy governor were expelled from the school.
The witness in his response said he and the third respondent were not expelled and that they graduated in 1979 from the school.
The Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Umar Tafida, in his response subpoened two officials from Sokoto State Ministry of Basic and Secondary School’s Education to tender documents and also testified at the tribunal.
In the words of the Director of Examination, Mr. Mustapha Idris Musa, who is the first witness represented the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Schools:
“I am here to tender documents only and not to testify.”
The second witness, a sole administrator of the school told the tribunal that he certified the testimonial of the deputy governor having sat for mock examination in the school in1979.
He was able to tender a broad sheet that contained the names of registered students who sat for mock examination in the school in the said year.
