By Peter Duru, Makurdi

There was mild drama at the Benue State House of Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Makurdi during the hearing of the certicate forgery case preferred against the Deputy Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Lami Danladi of the All Progressive Congress, APC, by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the Ado State constituency election, Mrs. Agnes Uloko.

The PDP and its candidate are challenging the election of Mrs. Lami on the ground that, she allegedly presented “a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in her form EC9 (Affidavit of personal particulars).”

While adopting her statement and tendering documents, during Saturday’s hearing, the Deputy Speaker tendered a deed poll dated May 10, 2022 which changed her name from “Ogenyi Danladi Lami” to “Danladi Lami.”

While under cross examination by counsel to the petitioners, Orseer Agena, Mrs. Lami was asked why she did not fill the column for former names in her form EC9, the deputy speaker said she did not have a former name but only had her present names. 

When asked if the name ‘Ogenyi’ was on the SSCE Certificate she tendered before the court, she responded that the name was not on the certificate.

When asked to confirm if the deed-poll she tendered was registered with the Nigerian Civil Registry, the Deputy Speaker confirmed to the tribunal that “the deed poll was not registered.”

Mrs. Danladi who tendered an SSCE certificate issued by the Ministry of Education, Zamfara State, confirmed to the tribunal while under cross examination that, “certificates are issued by the examination body and schools where such examinations were written.”

The Chairman of the Three-member panel, Justice Ory Zik-Ikeorha thereafter adjourned the matter to August 3, 2023 for adoption of final written address.

In the petition marked EPT/BN/SHA/3/2023, the petitioners averred that the Deputy Speaker presented a forged certificate to INEC in her form EC9, wherein she certified under oath that she secured a First School Leaving Certificate, FSLC and Senior School Certificate, SSCE, in 1998 and 2004 respectively “whereas she did not secured FSLC and SSCE in those years.”

The petitioners allege that “contrary to the express requirement of paragraph ‘C’ of Form EC9, the Deputy Speaker did not state the name of the schools she purportedly obtained the said qualifications used in contesting the 2023 State House of Assembly Election for Ado State Constituency.”

The petitioners alleged further that “the information given by the Deputy Speaker to INEC in form EC9 wherein she said she obtained FSLC from ‘Army Children’ and SSCE from ‘GGDSS’ is false.”

The PDP and Mrs. Uloko maintained that, “contrary to the certification under oath by Mrs. Danladi that she is a member of the APC with membership No. BN/GMU/01/04301, the Deputy Speaker is not a member of the APC as the membership registration form/slip attached to the said form EC9 is that of Ogenyi Ladi Danladi with membership number BN/GMU/04301 and not that of the Deputy Speaker.”

The petitioners insisted that “the exclusion of “Ogenyi” and “Ladi” in Form EC-9 and the inclusion of same in the membership registration form attached to the Form EC-9 is conclusive proof that the said documents are in respect of different persons.”

The petitioners are seeking among other reliefs a declaration voiding the election of Mrs. Danladi and return of Mrs. Uloko Agnes as the winner of the election.