PDP, Obaseki Close Case As Witness Confirms Authenticity Of Certificate
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State have closed their case on the ground that the governor does not need more witnesses to establish his innocence in the alleged certificate forgery suit filed against him by the APC and a chieftain of the party, Mr. William Edobor.
At the resumed hearing of the suit on Wednesday before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the defense concluded their case with the testimony of their third witness, Professor Eghosa Osaghae of the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Ibadan.
The certified true copy of Obaseki’s Political Science certificate issued by the University of Ibadan in 1979 was admitted as exhibit by the court, with the defense arguing that the incomplete photocopied certificate presented to INEC by Mr. Obaseki does not invalidate the authenticity of the certificate.
The witness in trying to make an analogy, narrated his experience while trying to make a duplicate copy of his certificate on an A4 paper, stressing that the portion of the date and registrar’s signature was cut off in the process of photocopying.
Under cross-examination, Professor Oseghae said with the constraints in photocopying a document from an A5 to A4 paper he will take the risk and tender an incomplete copy of his certificate wherever it is required bearing in mind that he is in possession of the original certificate which can be verified later.
