Patigi Bye-Elction: Group petitions INEC over alleged forgery by PDP candidate

The Patigi Advocacy Good Governance Group, PA3G has petitioned the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu over some alleged discrepancies in the certificates submitted by the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mohammed Salihu Yahaya, in the forthcoming Patigi state constituency election.

The legal adviser of the group, Mr. Mohammed Mohammed said Yahaya while filling (INEC) Form EC9 “gave his date of birth as 20th August 1981, (Annex A2) as against 20th August 1979 (Annex B), the same information the candidate gave INEC as shown on his Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), a deliberate false information”.

He added that, “The candidate provided June 18th 1982 as his date of birth in his WAEC result (Annex C) without any court affidavit refuting the contradictions. These are obvious false information which amount to criminal act in the “Electoral Act As amended) 2010”.

According to Mohammed, The candidate went further to altered his year of birth on his primary school leaving certificate (Annex D).

He said, “An investigative look at the primary school certificate shows that the year of birth written on it was originally 1986 and was altered to 1981; a gross criminal Offence in the face of law which should be a ground your commission will disqualify the candidate from participating in the Patigi Constituency Bye Election and any other elections in Nigeria in other to protect and save the image and integrity of INEC.

“With the foregoing, we are convinced that your commission will act appropriately by disqualifying Mohammmed Salihu Yahya , the PDP Candidate from participating in the Patigi Constituency Bye Election and invite law enforcement agencies to prosecute him as well.

We shall not however fail to explore legal suit against the commission and the candidate if necessary actions are not taking by the commission.”