Schools and examination bodies have testified before election petition tribunal sitting in Kaduna, saying certificates presented by candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2023 general election Hon. Lawal Adamu, popularly known as Mr. LA, now Senator did not emanate from them.
Also, testifying before the three-man panel of election petition tribunal against the embattled Federal Lawmaker was a witness from National Examination Council (NECO) who presented evidence showing that the examination body did not issue the result presented by Mr. LA to INEC.
Mr. LA of PDP was declared winner of 2023 general election of Kaduna Central Senatorial District by INEC, a decision that was challenged by his closest contender in the contest, Sani Dattijo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the tribunal on alleged fake certificates and credentials.
Principal of Government Secondary School Gwagwalada as a lead prosecution witness brought before the court record of students from 1985 to 1995, the period Mr. LA claimed to have attended the school.
Testifying before a pin-drop silence of court audience, the principal disclosed the conspicuous absence of Lawal Adamu’s name as bonafide student of the school within the period under consideration.
In his own testimony against the Senator, Examination Officer of Sheik Abubakar Gumi College Zaria, armed with register of candidates who sat for 2015 NECO Exam in the school.
Explaining further, the exam officer noted that exam registration number 029 Mr. LA said was his, actually belonged to one Ayuba Garba.
Other witnesses from learning institutions such as; Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Shehu Idris College of Advanced Studies, Diamond Academy, Adeyemo College of Arts and Science, Demonstration Primary School among others all disowned Lawal Adamu Usman as being their student or candidate at any academic period.
INEC witness in a testimony provided academic details as qualifications presented by Lawal Adamu Usman to include; NECO SSCE result from Diamond Academy and Adeyemo College of Arts and Science sat for in June 2011 and Diploma from Shehu Idris College of Advanced Studies whose witnesses called upon by prosecution counsel denies ever issuing them to the defendant.
Others, were from Demonstration Primary School and Government Day Secondary School Gwagwalada, Abuja with confirmation from these schools that he Lawal Adamu Usman had never been their learner nor examination candidate at any time.
The lead Judge, Justice HH Kereng after listening to testimonies from the witnesses adjourned hearing to 11 July, 2023 for continuation of the tribunal sittings on the case between Mr. LA and Hon. Sani Dattijo.