Lawal Adamu Usman, the PDP senator representing Kaduna Central at the National Assembly, may have his tenure abruptly terminated by the court following an indicting testimony given by Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and the National Examination Council (NECO) against him in a certificate forgery trial.
Adamu was sued by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Muhammad Sani Abdullahi who is challenging his declared victory on many fronts, including that he misled INEC in his filing with the electoral body where he claimed to possess academic certificates issued by the ABU and NECO.
Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, certain that Adamu’s claims were false and the certificates forged, subpoenaed the educational institutions and compelled them to testify before the court if the PDP Senator was legitimately issued the certificates he submitted to INEC by them after meeting academic obligations as a student and applicant.
Abubakar Is’haq, an associate professor of law, represented ABU Zaria, before the three-man panel chaired by H.H Kereng.
Esther Wuyaa, represented the National Examination Council (NECO), which is the second respondent and presented certified result confirmation to the court. Also, Ibrahim Yusuf, the head teacher of Demonstration Primary School also testified against the senator.
The school registration records from 1982 to 1986 which were tendered to the panel showed no record of Lawal Adamu Usman as a student of the school, as he claimed in the documents he submitted to INEC prior to the 2023 general elections.
Bello Suleiman, the principal of Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Gwagwalada, told the tribunal there was no candidate with the name of Lawal Adamu Usman from the years 1986 to 1994 according to available records.
During the tribunal proceedings, M.A Magaji, counsel to the first respondent, cross-examined all the witnesses with no objections.
While addressing journalists after the sitting, Johnson Usman, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and counsel to the APC candidate, said they were contesting Adamu’s victory on the ground that he presented forged certificates and non-compliance with the electoral act.
All schools that testified, submitted their school registers to the court as evidence. The tribunal adjourned the sitting to July 11.