How Ex-Plateau Reps Member, Mohammed Adamu Alkali, Forged His Primary School Certificate, Witnesses Tell Election Tribunal

Yakubu Busari

The Jos North Local Government Council Education Secretary, Mr. Ajiji Azi, Primary Education Board Coordinator, Gambo Adamu, and the Head Master Lawal ibn Suleiman all were subpoenaed to appear before National Assembly Election Tribunal has disowned the originality of the primary school certificate result attached by the Adamu Muhammad Alkali to INEC EC8A.

The All-Progressives Congress, (APC) candidate for Jos North /Bassa Federal Constituency, Former Deputy Speaker, Ibrahim Baba-Hassan approached the National, State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal Challenging People Redemption Party, (PRP) candidate, Hon Adamu Muhammad Alkali, alias Goni of engaging in primary School certificate forgery scandal.

The petitioner’s Counsel, Mr. Ishaq Magaji, SAN, told the court that the petition was slated for the commencement of the hearing and he scheduled to tender from the Bar CTC which the petitioners pleaded the documents.

However, the pleaded documents were admitted in evidence and marked B1-B10 as he subpoenaed three witnesses from the DSS, NPF, and Education Department.

According to him, the Form 23 rule 3 tendering of documents under section 218 of the electoral act in accordance with the federal high court.

However, the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, CP. B Onyeaka but represented by Muleng Alex the OC attached to the legal department of serial No .17891709 with subpoena dated 13/06/2023 .and the petitioners applied to tender in evidence before the court and was marked as an exhibit and admitted in evidence.

The documents were objected by the 4th-5th respondent to the admissibility of the documents which was reserved for final judgment, and the report was CTC police interim investigation reports completed by DSP Adamu S.Usman was admitted in evidence and marked as exhibit B8.

The PW2 was Mr. Ajiji Azi the Education Secretary of Jos North LGA on the same subpoena that was served on 11/06/2023 B13 exhibit dated 15/06/2023 deposed on a statement on oaths and identified by him through the signature.

The witness was warned by the 1st respondent, INEC, of the implication of telling lies as a witness statement in paragraph 8 where the respondent, Adamu Muhammad Alkali claimed to present a primary school certificate result of Angwan Rogo where he alleged that he took position 12th out of 75 pupils that graduated in 1990 set.

In his statement page 11 revealed that a total of 275 pupils graduated but counsel to Hon Musa Avia Agah , Pius Akubo , SAN, on cross-examination, Ajiji Azi confirmed to the court that the Angwan Rogo is a public school within Jos North, he said yes. Azi told the court that Angwan Rogo is under their supervision authority of them.

He disagreed with the total number of pupils that graduated in 1990 in paragraph 8 after due comparing to the names of graduands in 1990 so what he has in his record is Muhammad Adamu 1990 and the documents show 275 that graduated with Adamu Muhammad as No 93 and 247 with different positions each.

Azi explained further to the court that the Angwan Rogo primary school certificate attached by Adamu Muhammad Alkali was forged, the same result used for the contest of Jos North, Bassa seat and he confirmed to the court all the statements of the witness on the certificate racketeering is true.

As the education secretary of Jos North said; “I have an authentic list of the 1990 pupils which was tendered in evidence.

PW3, Gambo Adamu who is a staff of the primary education board Jos North education department was subpoenaed and his evidence was tender and marked exhibit B15 dated 15/06/2023 on oaths.

He stressed that then he was the head Master of Angwan Rogo primary school in 2006 when the purported certificate of racketeering was issued to Adamu Muhammad Alkali but he is not aware that the said graduand was given the certificate.

Gambo confirmed to the court that the signature that appeared on the certificate given to Adamu Muhammad Alkali was fake and forged.

“The Police had invited me severally and I have shown the Police documents with respect to this forgery issue.

“After investigations, it was discovered that, in 1990, no name like Mohammed Adamu Alkali graduated and that contrary to the certificate, 249 pupils graduated and not 75.

“I know Gambo Adamu, he is my senior and we are working together.

“You are correct to say that, Gambo was the Headmaster in 1990”.

The three witnesses confirmed to the court that Adamu Muhammad Alkali was not a graduate of the set 90s of the Angwan Rogo primary school and the documents he presented to INEC shows he forged it.

From the tribunal, the documents tender by the 4th-5th respondents didn’t tally with facts on the ground but he succeeded in misleading the INEC to produce documents that the school disowned the originality of the Angwan Rogo primary school certificate.

Three (3) witnesses in the ongoing trial of the petition filed by Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Baba Hassan, challenging the victory of, Hon. Agah Avia, in the just concluded election for Jos-North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State, have told the National and State Houses of Assembly Tribunal sitting in Jos that, the former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mohammed Adamu Alkali, forged the primary school certificate he submitted to INEC.

The three witnesses, Mr. Azi Ajiji, Gambo Adamu and Lawan Ibin Sulieman, who were on subpoena had also stated same in their statements under Oath before the Tribunal.

While Azi Ajiji is the Executive Secretary of Jos North Local Government Education Authority, Gambo Adamu was the Headmaster of Angwan Rogo Primary School, the primary school whose certificate is in question in 1990 and Lawan Ibin Sulieman is the school’s current Headmaster.

In their collective testimonies before the Tribunal, the three witnesses submitted that, the certificate of the school submitted to INEC by, Hon. Mohammed Adamu Alkali now Exhibit P8 before the Tribunal, was forged owing to several discrepancies.