Certificate forgery: Kano tribunal sacks NNPP Reps member, Muktar Yerima

The National and State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, in Kano, has nullified the election of the member representing Tuaraini Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Muktar Umar Yerima of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

The All Progressives Congress, candidate,  Hafizu Kawu had challenged Yerima’s emergence as the winner of the February 25th, 2023 election, claiming he wasn’t qualified.

In its ruling,  the three-man panel of the tribunal led by Justice I.P. Chima held that Yerima was not qualified because he forged his primary school certificate, therefore directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the certificate of return earlier issued to him.

The tribunal ordered INEC to immediately withdraw the certificate of return issued to Yerima.

The tribunal had held that Yerima’s defence that he had a change of name in 2022 did not hold water, having been using three (Umar Mukhtar Zakari) names on his international passports since 2009, while his primary school certificate still bears Umar Mukhtar.

It also held that the said primary school, Hausawa Primary School, has disowned the certificate tendered by the sacked lawmaker.

Therefore, it was ruled that the NNPP had no candidate in the election. Punch