The
resounding victory of the Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole recorded
over the combined cult of fixers, godfathers and godsons who for ten
harrowing years withheld the dividend of democracy from the Edo people
for the grand satiation of their ancient greed and rapacious tendencies
have left a bitter pill in the mouth of the PDP big wigs as they watched
retired Major General Charles Airhiavbere’s high hopes for the July 14,
2012 elections crumble like a pack of cards.
He failed to win in his polling unit where he voted, losing by a
landslide across the 18 local government areas of the state, to prove
that when the electorate are allowed to make the best possible choice on
who governs, Nigerians and indeed the Edo people, can make a difference
with democracy.
In his first tenure in 2008, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on assumption
of office, after a prolonged court battle to reclaim his stolen mandate
from Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, was in a hurry to perform and
demonstrated to Edo people that the change they crave is not impossible
as the PDP made it seem. Across the State, schools were refurbished and
built, potable water provided for areas without water for 25 years due
to rocky and low level of water table, road construction and
reconstruction, the agricultural sector has been repositioned, internal
revenue leapfrogged from a paltry 200million to about 2billion naira
monthly.
In the health sector, hospitals were built and renovated. For the
first time in almost a decade, Edo was truly working as it became a
massive construction site. His unprecedented achievements earned him
accolades and awards from within and outside the state. His impressive
first term scorecard resulted in a clamour from royal fathers, chiefs,
professionals, clerics, civil societies, organisations, groups and the
Edo man on the streets to seek a second term in office. As the elections
drew near, the Edo people were not just rooting for him but prepared to
defend their votes to ensure that the Comrade Governor, as he is now
fondly called, is given an opportunity to consolidate on the giant
strides in his first term. The Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa, CFR, while
receiving ACN leaders to his palace prior to the July 2012 elections
summed up the wishes of well-meaning people of Edo state this way “we
are all praying for Oshiomhole to be re-elected in 2012. I and my chiefs
are also hoping that he comes back and complete unfinished projects.”
Despite the elections widely considered as free and fair, the PDP
went ahead to contest the outcome of the poll at the State Election
Petition Tribunal. After consultation with the leadership of the party,
within and outside the state, they made a U-turn and withdrew their
petition barely three days after it was filed. The state chairman of the
party, Chief Dan Orbih in a press statement titled Let God Be The Judge
remarked “we have resolved not to file election charges at the tribunal
in the interest of the state”.
However, they still maintained that the results where manipulated to
favour the incumbent. Apparently the PDP weighed its options and decided
not to proceed with its case, thinking it would turn out to be an
exercise in futility.
General Airhiavbere (rtd) would not have any of this as he proceeded
to file an application challenging Oshiomhole’s re-election on the basis
of certificate forgery and perjury. He alleged that the elementary
school Oshiomhole claimed to have attended was not in existence at that
time, and that he also tendered fake certificate on oath to INEC from
Blessed Martins Modern Secondary School from which he dropped out. Going
by constitutional provisions, this disqualifies him from contesting the
election.
Against this background, General Charles Airhiavbere told the
Tribunal that all certificates presented to INEC by Comrade Adams
Oshiomhole to contest the July 2012 election were mere documents.
Indeed, a closer look at Governor Oshiomhole’s credentials showed
that though he claimed to have attended Iyamoh Primary School, Iyamoh,
in the then Midwest state from 1957-1962. His claim is however, contrary
to investigation at the Edo State Ministry of Education which revealed
that Iyamoh Primary School was founded in 1963, a year after the
governor said he graduated from it. His name is said not to be in the
class register nor among the graduated class of the Blessed Martins
Secondary Modern School he claimed to have graduated from in 1965. If he
was born in 1953 and graduated from a secondary school in 1965, as
declared on oath, could it be correct that he complete secondary school
at the age of 12?
Curiously, the name on Oshiomhole’s primary and secondary school
certificates simply bears Adams Aliu, and his Ahmadu Bello University
Adult Education certificate submitted to INEC, bears Adams O. Aliyu,
while subsequent certificates bear his current name Adams Aliyu
Oshiomhole.
This disconnect in his names was made evident when the comrade
governor in a handwritten affidavit he personally deposed to INEC stated
that he had no previous names other than Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole. The
discrepancy in Oshiomhole’s stated dates, names and schools belie the
veracity of his claim and may be considered as perjury on oath. The
PDP’s candidate argues that in line with the provisions of the
constitution, the governor was not eligible to stand as a candidate in
the election.
After Oshiomhole’s claim to secondary education, he obtained an adult
education certificate from Ahmadu Bello University before proceeding to
Ruskin College, Oxford, an educational institution that specialises in
providing education opportunities for adults with few or no formal
qualifications, where he obtained a diploma in Economics and Industrial
Relations. He is also an Alumnus of the prestigious National Institute
for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.
The 1999 constitution stipulates, “a person shall be qualified for election to the office of Governor of a State if
(a) He is a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
(b) He has attained the age of thirty-five years;
(c) He is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and
(d) He has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”
Sub section (d) above is the relevant section Airhiavbere is holding
unto, asking the election tribunal to quash Oshiomhole’s election.
Pertinent to note, on Sept. 27, Justice Suleman Ambrusa of the
election petition tribunal , struck out several paragraphs of General
Airhiavbere’s petition, on the basis that it was a pre-election issue,
which only the regular court had jurisdiction to handle.
On Arhiavbere’s appeal, the court of appeal ruled in his favour that
the tribunal erred in law to have disqualified itself from entertaining
the reliefs that bothered on Oshiomhole’s educational qualification to
contest the governorship election and therefore restored its pleadings
and ordered that the Acting President of the Court of Appeal should
re-constitute a new tribunal to revisit the petition filed by the
retired Major General.
A more objective angle to
the tribunal proceedings can be a simple clarification of the Nigerian
constitution as it applies to qualifications when running for public
office. Its not unusual in Nigeria to have cases of certificate forgery
post election. As it is with other court cases, evidence is key and
certificate forgery is a very difficult one to prove.
Senator Yisa Braimoh had his suit of certificate forgery against
Senator Domingo Obende representing Edo North Senatorial district
dismissed by a Federal High Court in Abuja. Similarly, Benue State
Governor, Gabriel Suswan won a case on educational qualification
instituted against him at the Federal High Court Abuja by a chieftain of
the PDP, Terver Kakih. On the flipside, former Speaker of Federal House
of Representative, Alhaji Salisu Buhari was disgraced out of office for
awarding himself a fake certificate he claimed to have obtained from
the University of Toronto. Today, there abound numerous cases of
certificate forgery in the country.
Issues of certificate forgery are not uncommon in other political
climes. President Barack Obama, during the run-up to his re-election
into the White House had to prove his place of birth was Hawaii by
publishing his original birth certificate to effectively silence his
critics.
Undeniably, Governor Oshiomhole has lifted Edo State from the doldrum
and inept leadership of the heisty hands of former PDP Governors,
putting the state on the path to economic recovery and sustainable
development. The election petition tribunal sitting is a distraction.
Though Oshiomhole has tried to brave the odds, sources close to the
governor say he has been shaken by the discovery of discrepancies in his
academic qualification. Earlier, Oshiomhole in his response to the
petition filed against him at the tribunal said he considered it
frivolous. These allegations have however gathered momentum and now seem
capable of truncating his giant strides and unwavering commitment to
the upliftment of Edo state and its people.
The big questions remain; can Governor Adams Oshiomhole prove his certificates? Can he weather the storm?
Only time will tell.
OsunDefender
DailyPost
