From Yakubu Busari, Jos
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, the Plateau state capital on Wednesday upheld the re-election Governor Simon Lalong of the All Progressive congress, APC, stating that he scored the highest number valid votes cast in the March 9, 2019.
The PDP and its candidate Senator Jeremiah Useni had filed a petition against Lalong in the March governorship election in Plateau state, claiming that Lalong did not when the election but used the power of incumbency to rig the election. He contested the qualification of the governor.
However, on the issue of Lalong qualification to contest for the election, the tribunal held the governor is over qualified and didn’t present fake certificate on oath .
Its was revealed that the Governor Simon Lalong also presented certificates bearing different names as alleged by the petitioners and the certificate of which the tribunal held that the petitioners did not move further to substantiate their claim or prove of evidence
Lalong said since he obtained his WAEC examination in 1982, he used the same certificate in gaining admission to SPS Keffi in the present Nasarawa state and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he bagged a BA in Law up to second degree, adding that he is the owner of the certificate.
The tribunal held and resolved that the second respondent Lalong is the owner of the certificate and that all the four different names are link to him.
In reaction, the PDP said it would appeal the ruling.
