Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has directed the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to present a Certified True Copy of his appeal against the ruling of the court which declined to strike out his application against some paragraphs of the plaintiffs’ reply to his statement.
Justice Mohammed gave the order in a short ruling in an application seeking to stay proceedings in the suit pending the determination of Obaseki’s appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, had dragged Obaseki to court, accusing him of allegedly forging his Bachelor of Arts degree certificate as well as lying on oath in his form CF 001 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to aid his qualification for the 2020 governorship election in Edo State.
The court had late last month struck out Obaseki’s application argued by his lead counsel, Ken Mozia, SAN, that some paragraphs in the plaintiffs’ statement of reply be removed.
The court subsequently adjourned to December 9 (yesterday) for commencement of trial.
However, when the matter came up yesterday, Mozia informed the court that his client, not satisfied with the ruling, approached the Court of Appeal to set aside the lower court’s ruling.
According to him, copies of the record, receipts and acknowledgment letter from the appeal court to prove that there is indeed an appeal are before the court.
He, therefore, urged the lower court to stay proceedings, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed held that the court has a duty to find out whether the matter has been entered at the appellate court or not.
He subsequently adjourned till 12p.m. today.
