An official of the West African Examination Council, Olufemi Olaleye, on Thursday, kept mum over the whereabouts of the copy of the council’s examination certificate of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.
The WAEC official who appeared before the Ogun State election petition tribunal on Thursday, following his subpoena to testify either for or against the certificate presented by Abiodun to the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the election.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the
tribunal had subpoenaed the examination council to produce a copy of Abiodun’s 1978 WAEC certificate as attached to the form he filled with the Independent National Electoral Commission .
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ladi Adebutu, in the March 18 governorship election, had accused Abiodun of forging his WAEC certificate.
According to Adebutu, Abiodun presented a forged West African Examinations Council School Certificate of June 1978 to the 1st Respondent” (INEC) on July 25, 2022..
Adebutu said he had written a letter to WAEC, to verify the authenticity of the said examination certificate presented by Abiodun to INEC.
Contrarily, the official of the West African Examinations Council on Thursday, failed to respond to the Petitioners’ request of making available the certificate of Abiodun.
In the petition read partly,”the petitioners shall at the trial subpoena officials of the said West African Examinations Council to testify on the falsity of the said certificate.”
While appearing before the tribunal sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Thursday, Olaleye was not with the disputed certificate, neither did he confirm whether or not the governor sat for the examination as claimed.
The WAEC official was not sworn, neither was he allowed to enter the witness box and when asked of the whereabouts of the said certificate, he said “the requested certificate is not here with me.”
However, Olaleye was allowed to tender in evidence, a copy of the subpoena issued to the examination body, upon which he was at the tribunal.
He however refused to speak to newsmen after the proceeding on the certificate of the governor, saying ”
While responding to the whereabouts of the certificate, Olaleye told the tribunal he did not bring the requested certificate “because WAEC does not keep duplicates of collected WAEC certificates.”
He stated that to confirm whether or not somebody partakes in the council’s examination, “the original certificate given to the candidate will be forwarded to WAEC” for verification.
Olaleye was discharged immediately he was recorded as having testified before the tribunal as PW73.
He however, refused to speak to newsmen outside the court room, saying: “My lips are sealed.”
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