Wale Jagun
The People s Democratic Party (PDP) has responded to the call on the Inspector – General of Police (IGP) to prosecute its Senatorial candidate in the forthcoming Lagos East Senatorial District bye-election, Mr Babatunde Olalere Gbadamosi, for alleged forgery and perjury.
They party stated that its candidate did not forge his West African Examination Council Certificate, adding that, “The APC has only concocted these wicked lies as a means of tarnishing the good image of Mr. Gbadamosi”.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) had on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, asked the court to compel the IGP to prosecute Gbadamosi in an application filed in pursuant to Order 34 Rules 1 and 3 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedures) Rules, 2019.
The party, in Suit NO: FHC/L/CS/1659/2020, sued Gbadamosi and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allegations of forgery, perjury, fraud and failure to participate in the one-year mandatory national youth service.
The main opposition party, in a release sent to THE IMPACT, reacting to the ruling party’s call for prosecution of its senatorial candidate, described the move as a desperate reaction to soaring popularity of its candidate, Mr Gbadamosi.
The release, signed by Prince Muiz Dosumu, State Secretary, PDP, is reproduced below:
LAGOS EAST SENATORIAL BYE-ELECTION:
THE DESPERATION OF APC WILL NOT STOP THE VICTORY OF BABATUNDE GBADAMOSI
Our attention has been drawn to mindless publications and desperate tactics being employed by the All Progressives Congress, (APC), against our candidate for the coming Lagos East Senatorial Bye-Election, Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi. The soaring popularity of Mr. Gbadamosi has clearly become a nightmare for the APC and its candidate. Furthermore, the crisis thrown by the alleged double registration that was perpetrated by the candidate of the APC, Mr. Adetokunbo Abiru, is what is daily pushing the APC to desperate actions and unconscionable limits.
It is not correct that Mr. Gbadamosi forged his West African Examination Council Certificate. The APC has only concocted these wicked lies as a means of tarnishing the good image of Mr. Gbadamosi. We are glad that the good people of Lagos State have not bought into the chicanery of the APC, given the strong determination of Lagosians to rescue our State from the undertakers, the godfathers and gold diggers.
Mr. Gbadamosi sat for WAEC in 1985 at Government College, Ikorodu, where he attempted eight subjects, but WAEC only issued a certificate for five subjects in which he recorded passes. What is contained on the WAEC online platform upon which APC is shouting and losing sleep, is the full statement of results of Mr. Gbadamosi, whereas the certificate issued by WAEC records only subjects graded from 1-8. It is the policy of WAEC not to record subjects for which passes are not awarded and this is written on every certificate issued by WAEC as the policy of the organisation as follows:
“Attainment in a subject is indicated by a grade, Grade 1 being the highest and Grade 9 the lowest. Only Grades 1-8 are shown on this certificate.”
This is so elementary that only a malicious mind with evil intent will elevate such ignorance to the hallowed chambers of any court. The actions of the APC have been submitted to our lawyers to take them up before the law courts. We have also instructed our lawyers to demand unreserved apologies from the APC and its agents who have fabricated falsehood and written libellous articles against Mr. Gbadamosi. We will surely get to the very root of this and ensure that the long arm of the law catches up with those responsible for this blatant blackmail.
It is laughable that any serious political party is asking the court to compel the Inspector-General of Police to investigate a petition that in itself is criminal falsehood, when WAEC is still an existing entity in Nigeria, which APC could have easily approached to verify the authenticity of the certificate of Mr. Gbadamosi. It has become clear that the APC has lost control of Lagos, given the stagnation in governance, rising crime wave, strangulating traffic bottlenecks all over the city, etc. This is the more reason why Lagosians should troop out en masse on Saturday December 5, 2020, to vote for Mr. Gbadamosi, so that we can put a final end to their reign of terror and brigandage and restore the glory of Lagos, which has been caged since 1999. It is only a drowning man that clutches to straws.
Signed:
Prince Muiz Dosumu
State Secretary, PDP.
