By Okhide Em’ya David
A Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has sacked the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peremobowei Ebebi from contesting in the Bayelsa West Senatorial by-election.
Justice Jane Inyang, the presiding Judge in a ruling in a case of forgery instituted against the APC Candidate by Richman Samuel, a former Director of Domestic Matters, Government House, Yenagoa, upheld the plaintiff’s prayers and declared the APC candidate ineligible to contest and disqualified him.
The Complainant had contended that the academic qualifications and voter’s card, which the APC Candidate submitted to INEC for the by-election, were forged documents.
Peremobowei Ebebi, who was a former deputy governor, became APC candidate in a direct primary conducted two months ago by primary electoral committee headed by Retired General Abdulsalam Dahiru
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC had fixed October 31 for the Bayelsa Central and Bayelsa West senatorial by-elections, but, the commission, on October 22, announced the indefinite postponement of by-elections in six senatorial districts and nine state constituencies, including Bayelsa, due to the #EndSARS nationwide protests.
Justice Inyang further held in her ruling that the voter’s card which the Ekeremor-born politician submitted to INEC “as declared by his (Ebebi’s) father, bears a different age and, therefore, contradicts other of his documents and his filed INEC forms.”
She also noted that details presented showed that Ebebi’s West African Senior School Certificate, which the defendant used to gain admission to study law at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, had only two credits, which fell short of the required credits in five relevant subjects, including English Language and Literature in English.
Counsel for the plaintiff, Mr Reuben Iguaba, explained that in a similar suit filed by some members of the APC challenging the legitimacy of the party’s primary election, the court also gave judgment against the former deputy governor.
Iguaba told reporters that the court also declared that the APC candidate was not validly nominated, and disqualified him from contesting in the Bayelsa West senatorial polls.
He said: “The first case was on presenting false information by the APC candidate. Some of the registered APC members from Bayelsa West Senatorial District applied to the INEC to verify the authenticity of the certificates submitted by Chief Ebebi.
“And they discovered that his voter’s card was a forged document, not genuine document. Not only that, he got admission to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, with two credits to study law.”
Reacting to his disqualification, Ebebi said he would appeal the judgment.
Apparently referring to the immediate past Governor of the state and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Seriake Dickson, the APC standard bearer said: “My main opponent is just looking for a shortcut to the Senate. We will appeal the judgment.”
