The West African Examination Council on Thursday refused to confirm or debunk the authenticity of the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun’s certificate.
An official of the examination body, Olufemi Olaleye, on Thursday, appeared before the tribunal sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital without tendering a copy of Abiodun’s certificate.
The WAEC had earlier been subpoenaed by the tribunal to produce a copy of Abiodun’s 1978 WAEC certificate as attached to the form he filled with the Independent National Electoral Commission before the last election.
The People’s Democratic Party and its candidate in the state in the March 18 governorship election, Ladi Adebutu, had dragged Abiodun and his party, the All Progressives Congress before the tribunal on the ground that the election was rigged.
The PDP and Adebutu had also alleged that Abiodun forged his WAEC certificate.
Adebutu, in his petition, alleged that Abiodun presented a forged WAEC of June 1978 to the INEC, the 1st Respondent on July 25, 2022.
Adebutu further claimed that he had written a letter to the examination body, asking it to verify the authenticity of the certificate presented by Abiodun to it.
But, when the official of the WAEC appeared on Thursday, he was neither with a copy of the certificate, nor did he confirm whether or not the governor sat for the examination as claimed.
At the tribunal, the official was not sworn to an oath and was also not allowed to enter the witness box.
When he was asked for a copy of the certificate, Olaleye said “The requested certificate is not here with me.”
However, he was allowed to tender in evidence, a copy of the subpoena issued to the examination body, upon which he was at the tribunal.
While addressing the tribunal, Olaleye said he did not bring the requested certificate “because WAEC does not keep duplicates of collected WAEC certificates.”
According to him, to confirm whether or not somebody partakes in the council’s examination, “the original certificate given to the candidate will be forwarded to WAEC” for verification.
Olaleye was discharged immediately after he was recorded as having testified before the tribunal as PW73.
Attempt to speak to him outside the courtroom to give further explanations on why WAEC did not produce the requested certificate, failed as Olaleye simply said, “My lips are sealed.”
Credit: Punch
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