Lawyer to court: Disqualify Dapo Abiodun over certificate scandal
A legal practitioner, Abdulrrafiu Baruwa has filed a suit seeking the disqualification of governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ogun State, Mr. Dapo Abiodun from the 2019 general elections, TheCable can report. Dapo-Abiodun Abiodun keeps mum When Vanguard called Mr. Abiodun, he refused to pick his calls and sms sent were not replied. In a suit filed at a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court in Abuja, Baruwa, an APC member, asked the court to disqualify Abiodun from the race over giving “false information” in the academic qualification he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
This came as supporters of both Abiodun and Governor Ibikunle Amosun continued to trade words over the allegation against the state APC governorship candidate. Among Baruwa’s prayers are: “Abiodun’s refusal to disclose all his educational qualifications as demanded by INEC in FORM CF 001 amounts to false information. “APC is not at liberty to apply double standards in clearing or disqualifying persons aspiring for elective offices “A proper construction of the Forms CF 001 filled by Abiodun and submitted to INEC for the 2015 senatorial election and 2019 governorship election.
“Disqualifying Abiodun as candidate of the APC having regard to the false information contained in his Form CF 001 submitted to INEC. “Declaring Jimi Lawal, the aspirant with the second highest votes in the APC primary as the candidate of the APC in the governorship poll.” TheCable had reported how Abiodun declared only his West African School Certificate (1978) in the Form CF001 submitted to INEC on October 23, 2018.
However, when he ran as APC senatorial candidate for Ogun East in 2015, he claimed to have attended the University of Ife, (graduating in 1986) and Kennesaw State University, Atlanta, Georgia, US (1989) in his INEC form CF001, backed by an affidavit he swore to at the high court, Abeokuta, Ogun state. Abiodun’s decision not to include the two degrees in the form CF001 submitted for the 2019 election fuelled suspicion that he did not undergo the compulsory national youth service – which is punishable under the law – even though he finished his first degree in 1986. While some are in doubt that Abiodun attended those higher institutions, Baruwa said he knows that the APC candidate graduated from University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) before 30 but neither participated in the mandatory National Youth Service nor obtained any exemption certificate. Abiodun was born on May 29, 1960 and was 26 in 1986 when he claimed to have finished his first degree.
The age limit for national service is 30. The lawyer said Abiodun, who had earlier swore an oath on his university qualification, cannot be permitted in law to willfully conceal his qualifications for the sole purpose of evading the consequences of such educational qualifications. Abiodun should clear himself of allegation — Ogun APC Reacting, a senior party official in Ogun State, who pleaded anonymity, urged the candidate to clear air on the allegation. He said: “We have no power to disqualify any candidate, only INEC has the power to disqualify. “It is not the party that would talk. It is Dapo Abiodun who is accused that must clear himself of the allegations.”
Matter still in court— INEC When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi said the Commission cannot comment on a matter still in court. Oyekanmi said: “When a case is in court, we don’t comment and remember, a lawyer has gone to court but the court is yet to decide on the matter. As far as INEC is concerned, the case is still the way it is until the court decides otherwise. If the court rules in favour of the lawyer and we are served, we will obey. Initiating a court action against an individual is not the same as getting judgement; we cannot be reacting to what is yet to take place. The matter is in court and we cannot react to a matter that has not been decided.” Vanguard
