A Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed December 10 for judgment in a suit filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against Andy Uba, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the just concluded Anambra governorship election.
SDP wants the court to declare that the 1974 senior school certificate examination result presented by Mr Uba for the election is fake.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo fixed the date for judgment after listening to arguments from counsel to the parties in the suit on Thursday.
The SDP is the applicant in the suit, while the APC, Mr Uba, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) are the respondents.
The SDP’s lawyer, James Onoja, SAN, in his final argument, told the court that Mr Uba claimed to have acquired his SSCE certificate in 1974, whereas the examination council only started issuing SSCE in 1988.
He said Mr Uba bears different names on various certificates he tendered to the APC and INEC, including that of WAEC.
He said the act was a contravention of the Electoral Act. “This court has the authority of preventing such people from accessing public office,” he said.
The APC’s lawyer, Vincent Otaokpupu, opposed Mr Onoja’s submissions.
He urged the court to dismiss the submissions for being statute-barred (out of time).
Mr Otaokpupu said Mr Onoja abandoned his false information allegation and was now busy “changing the goal post” by attacking the placements of Mr Uba’s name.
“So their argument is statute-barred, and we invite the court to decline jurisdiction.
“I implore the court to discountenance their submissions and strike out this suit with a punitive cost of N100 million,” he said.
On his part, Mr Uba’s lawyer, Chris Ubeoyibo, said any controversy regarding the name of his client in the result in question was resolved when he (Uba) swore an affidavit to capture the changes.
“My Lord, the adoption of the name Andy, there is an affidavit of fact sworn before a notary public,” he said.
INEC was not represented in court.
Justice Taiwo, in a short ruling, fixed December 10 for judgment.
(NAN)
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