By Osahon Osahon
The ruling All Progressives Congress on Friday disqualified Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State from contesting the July 22 governorship primary election of the party on alleged discrepancies in his educational certificates.
Chairman of the APC screening panel, Prof. Jonathan Ayuba, while presenting the report explained that Obaseki was disqualified because the committee could not vouch for the authenticity of the Higher School Certificate he claimed but could not produce.
The committee held that the document he produced only attested to his attendance.
The seven-man screening committee led by Ayuba said the report is conclusive, adding that all members of the panel signed the report.
Ayuba said the committee was thorough in the process of conducting the exercise, adding that the process was recorded and the unedited recording would be made available to the party.
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Obaseki has since condemned his disqualification, saying he would not challenge the outcome of the panel report.
However, the panel, according to reports, gave six major reasons the incumbent Edo governor was disqualified from contesting on the APC platform.
The reasons as submitted by the panel are:
- claiming to have a Higher School Leaving Certificate which is unknown to the Nigerian educational system;
- allegedly being in possession of an affidavit disowned by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory;
- error in the National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate which bears Obasek as against Obaseki;
- loss of primary, secondary and the Higher School Leaving Certificates;
- alleged violation of Article 21 D (V) of the party’s constitution, which forbids members from taking the party to court;
- legal precedents occasioned by the judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court on discrepancies in names.
