Barely one week after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the final list of candidates for the November 6 governorship election, the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Andy Ubah, has been dragged to court over the school certificate he submitted for the election.
Also sued are the APC, the INEC and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
In a suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/1211/2021, filled on October 8, 2021 at Federal High Court, Abuja, a political party participating in the election alleged that the Form EC9 submitted by the APC (1st respondent) and Uba (2nd respondent) to INEC (3rd respondent) was full of false information.
According to the political party, in its affidavit in support of Originating Summons, the Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 1974 Statement of Result purportedly issued by Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State under the Enugu State School System and allegedly bearing the name of Uba Emmanuel Nnamdi with Candidate Number 05465/089 is false.
It said that in 1974 when Uba left secondary school, the WAEC (4th respondent) did not conduct Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), but “only commenced the conduct of Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) sometimes in 1988 under the 6-3-3-4 System of Education adopted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The political party said WAEC conducted General Certificate of Education (GCE) in May/June 1974 and even up to 1978, which is at variance with the Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 1974 Statement of Result purportedly issued by Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State under the Enugu State School System” and allegedly submitted by Uba.
It also said the claims in the certificate, allegedly submitted by Uba, that the examination was conducted under the Enugu State school system in 1974 was also false as Enugu State was only created in 1991.
“Enugu State was not yet created in 1974 when the 2nd Respondent (Uba) left secondary school but was created in August 1991,” the political party said, while also submitting that “the purported Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 1974 Statement of Result purportedly issued by Union Secondary School Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State under the Enugu State School System” and allegedly submitted by Uba to INEC in Form EC9 as qualifying him to contest the 2021 Anambra State gubernatorial election is false.
It therefore wants the court, in its originating summons brought pursuant to Section 182(1)(j) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and Section 3195) & (6) of the amended Electoral Act, 2011, to determine whether WAEC (4th respondent) or any other examination body conducted Senior School Certificate Examination in May/June 1974 at Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria for Uba with Examination Number 05465/089.
