Forgery: Akwa Ibom rep-elect falsely accused, polytechnics tell tribunal

 The Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State has faulted claims that its former student and a House of Representatives member-Elect for Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency, Hon. Okpolupm Etteh, presented forged certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission for screening prior to the elections.

Also, Temple Gate Polytechnic (formally School of Management and Technology), Aba, Abia State and the Examination Certification Division of the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education have faulted the claims.

The PUNCH reported that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the February 25 National Assembly election in Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, had dragged the member-elect before the tribunal challenging his declaration as the winner of the said election on the grounds that he was not qualified to have contested the poll, having presented forged certificates with inconsistency in his name as documents submitted to INEC.

The petitioner is also asking the tribunal to declare him the winner on grounds that he scored the majority of lawful votes cast at the polling units and that the majority of his votes obtained from the units and the results as announced and pasted at the units were unlawfully excluded at the collation centres to the advantage of Etteh.

But testifying before the tribunal on Wednesday, the institution’s representatives said  Etteh’s certificates were obtained from the institutions after compliance and fulfilment of all the necessary conditions for such to be issued.

At the resumed hearing of the case, counsel to Etteh, Barrister Ekpenyong Ntekim, argued that his client obtained all his certificates from recognised institutions in Nigeria, adding that there was no basis for any forgery as alleged by the petitioner.

Counsel further argued that there was no inconsistency in the name of Etteh, as all documents bearing his name have not shown any contradiction with his age declaration certificate, which he tendered to INEC during his screening.

Testifying as the first witness before the tribunal, the Registrar, Temple Gate Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State, Mr Goodluck Osemene,  tendered evidence of Admission Letter, Attestation Letter, Results, Application Letter for the collection of result, Application for the forwarding of Transcript to the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, as representing the true certifications of the defendant, arguing that the documents originated from the institution.

The registrar said that the institution, which started as the School of Management and Technology, Aba, Abia State before it was changed to Temple Gate Polytechnic in 2009, is a recognised tertiary institution accredited by the National Board for Technical Education in October 2010, and therefore, all documents bearing the name of the institution that were presented before the tribunal are valid.

Also testifying as a second witness, the Deputy Registrar of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Mr Alexander Anukam, presented before the Tribunal, a Letter of Admission for Higher National Diploma programme, which the Institution offered to Hon. Etteh on completion of his Pre-HND in the same school and other documents from the Polytechnic as evidence that the Member-Elect legally acquired his certificates.

The Deputy Director, Examination Certification Division, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education, Mr Akaninyene Inyang, also testified as a third witness on the matter.

He tendered before the Tribunal, certified true copies of the First School Leaving Certificate ledger containing all entries for the examination, which the ministry issued in 1998 to Etteh upon completion of the primary school examination in the state as an external candidate in 1988, submitting that the document was not forged.

The fourth witness from the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Mr Oku Johnny, who identified himself as an administrative officer, also presented true copies of the academic qualifications of the first defendant as evidence before the tribunal.

Counsel to the PDP in Akwa Ibom, Barrister Utibe Nwoko, who held the brief of lead counsel, Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN, cited relevant provisions of the law and cases decided as precedence and, told the tribunal that all evidence presented by the witnesses was a confirmation that the defendant presented genuine and certified copies of his qualifications.

After listening to the arguments and cross-examination of witnesses by the counsel to Etteh, the PDP, INEC and the petitioner, the three-man panel of Justices, led by Justice Kudirat Jose, however, adjourned to June 22, 2023 for adoption of written addresses on the case.