Court admits WAEC copy against lawmaker in forgery case

Criminal Court One of the Edo High Court, yesterday, admitted in evidence a certified copy of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate against lawmaker-elect of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), Ugiagbe Onaiwu.

Justice Efe Ikponmwoba admitted the certified copy after listening to arguments on its admissibility from counsels to the complainant and defendant, Peter Ojo and Paul Osarenkhoe.

An employee of WAEC, Mrs. Dupe Elemikhena, who was summoned by the court, acknowledged the document to be a certified one from the council.

In their argument against its admissibility, Osarenkhoe sought its rejection on the ground that the document did not emanate from the staff member of the examination body.

Osarenkhoe also premised his argument on the fact that relevancy was not the only yardstick for admissibility.

In his argument for admissibility, Ojo, who is counsel to the state, argued that the first rule of admissibility was in the relevance of a document, saying: “Since the document is relevant, it should be accepted and admitted in the case.”

Justice Ikponmwoba subsequently adjourned the case to June 30, 2021 for the complainant to call his last witness on the case.

The Guardian recalled that the state had sued the APC candidate for the 2019 House of Assembly elections over alleged forgery and impersonation of the results he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Onaiwu is one of the 14 lawmakers-elect yet to be inaugurated into the state House of Assembly.