Unijos Registrar Appears Before Edo Elections Tribunal

Ebojele Akhere Patrick

28 July 2011

Benin — THE Edo State Elections Tribunal sitting in Benin City has received and admitted in evidence 4 documents presented by Barrister Jilli Dandan D, the Registrar of the University of Jos, as proof that Mr. Philip Shaibu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) is a graduate of the University.

Barrister Dandan who was under subpoena to appear before the tribunal in respect of the Educational qualifications of Shaibu obtained at the University tendered a copy of the Convocation Brochure detailing the list of graduates who left the University in the year Shaibu graduated and the University’s list of graduates who left that year for the compulsory NYSC scheme.

In addition the tribunal accepted from the Registrar a photocopy of Shaibu’s degree Certificate in the University file and a Letter from the Faculty of Social Science and Accounting of the University while adjourning sitting till tomorrow.

Earlier the tribunal had also accepted in evidence a copy of the community magazine called EDO NORTH NEWS, which allegedly carried the report containing information about the educational qualifications of Mr. Philip Shaibu.

The decision of the tribunal followed the application of Chief Ferd Orbih, counsel to Mr. Philip Sede, the Labour Party, LP, candidate for Etsako West II constituency, who is challenging the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC of Mr. Philip Shaibu, the Action Congress of Nigeria candidate in the April 24 2011 House of Assembly elections as winner.

Orbih had argued before the tribunal presided over by Mr. Justice Paul Elechi that the magazine like all newspapers is not a public document and as such does not require to be a certified true copy or to be formally presented by a proper custody as argued by Chief Niyi Akintola , SAN counsel for Shaibu.

Earlier in the proceedings Mr. Felix Oshioke Osigwe, a principal witness for Sede told the tribunal based on examination by Chief Akintola, SAN that the only information he was in possession of about Shaibu was the one he was told by the LP candidate at a campaign rally to the effect that Shaibu does not possess the educational qualifications he claimed in the INEC forms.

On his part, Sede told the tribunal on the witness stand that he stood by his deposition that though he knew that Shaibu was once an undergraduate of the University of Jos he is not certain that he ever graduated or featured in the NYSC. He said his position was based on the information at his disposal, though he is not an official of the examination body WAEC or of the University of Jos.

Asked by Chief Akintola, SAN if he aware that he has the right to make his complaints known to the INEC before the elections, Sede said he had filed a suit on the subject matter before the Federal High Court in Benin City but that till date the court was yet to hear the suit.

Sede’s application before the tribunal is amongst others seeking the declaration of the tribunal that because Shaibu was not qualified to contest the elections as he allegedly lied in the information supplied about his educational qualifications including the WASC Nov-Dec. 1993 and the degree certificate of the University of Jos, Jos of 2002 on the INEC form CF 001.

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