Court rules on Wike’s alleged birth certificate forgery case March 8

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed March 8, 2019 to deliver judgement on the suit seeking to disqualify Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, from contesting March 9 governorship election.

A Rivers indigene, Elvis Chinda, last year, prayed the court to interpret certain sections of the Electoral Act, which deal with presentation of forged document to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by aspirants seeking clearance to contest an election.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, yesterday, adjourned the for judgement after the plaintiff’s counsel, Achinike William-Wobodoa; counsel to INEC, Wale Ajayi; and counsel to Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), adopted their addresses and argued on their respective positions on the matter.

Adopting the plaintiff’s written address, William-Wobodo urged the court to determine whether Certificate of Birth (Statutory Declaration of Age) attached to Wike’s Form CF 001 presented to INEC, purportedly deposed to on October 3, 1986 by one Collins Wike from Obio/Akpor Council of Rivers State was forged.

He urged the court to grant the reliefs sought because “a document that lied against itself is forged.”The counsel stated that as at 1986, Obio/Akpor Council was not in existence, as it was created by Decree 12 of 1989.