Hearing continued on Thursday at the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting at High Court 6 Jos in the matter of a Petition to the membership to the House of Representatives for Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency between Ibrahim Baba Hassan, APC (Petitioners) and INEC, Musa Agah Avia, PDP, Muhammad Adam Alkali, PRP, Daniel Asama Agoh, LP (Respondents).

The prosecution concluded and closed its case last week and the matter adjourned to Thursday 6th July, 2023 for the 4th Respondent (Muhammad Adam Alkali and PRP) to open their defence over allegations by the Petitioners that the 4th Respondent forged the Primary School Certificate he presented to INEC for the said election conducted on February 25, 2023.

When the case file was called, Yakubu Ruba, Counsel for the 4th and 5th Respondent told the Tribunal that they have five witnesses to call in defence of their case.

Three of the Witnesses were in court on account of Subpoena ad testificandum. One of such witness Tijani Mohammed Naji or 4RW5,  was the former Head Master of the 4th Respondent, now a retired civil servant who currently lives at Bauch Road Jos.

Witness identified and adopted his witness statement on oath on July 04, 2023 in addition to other documents he brought which were tendered, admitted and marked accordingly. He further identified documents he made referenced to in his statement including the said certificate which is attached to exhibit PI before the Tribunal. 

Witness, during cross examination said that he worked under Jos North Local Government Education Authority from the year 1987 to 2019.

Witness told the Tribunal that he retired as Assistant Headmaster 1 stressing that while in service, he served as Assistant Headmaster 3 at LGEA Primary School Anguwan Rogo, Jos from 2004 to 2012 before he was transferred to LEA Primary School Sabon Layi Jos.

Witness further told the Tribunal that contrary to what PW3 Gambo Adamu who earlier testified before the Tribunal, he was not the Headmaster of Anguwan Rogo Primary School in 2006 but Azi Ajiji.

Witness added that the said Ajiji served as Headmaster of the school from the year 2000 to 2006 when he was transferred to Township Primary School Jos and Hajiya M. K Sani succeeded him as Headmistress and remained in that position until 2007 when she was also transferred to LEA Primary School Gangare.

Witness said that the said certificate with reference number 45472 was issued by him in 2006 in his capacity as Assistant Headmaster 3 adding that the said  certificate was not forged but genuine.

He said that at the time, all Assistant Headmasters were permitted to sign and issue certificates to graduates of the school.

Witness noted that the said certificate was sent to the school by Primary Education Board along other certificates with verifiable serial numbers.

4RW5 told the Tribunal that all Primary Education certificates sent to the school by Primary Education Board had duplicates and that if all the certificates issued in 2006 are presented to him, he would identify the duplicate copy of the 4th Respondent with reference number 45472 which he issued to the 4th Respondent.

Witness also told the Tribunal that the Jos crises affected the school and some documents were either missed or misplaced as at 2006 including the master list of pupils that finished from the school in 1990.

Witness said that as a result of the effect of Jos crises stated earlier, he used the 4th Respondent's position in class and the total number of the pupils in his class to complete his certificate as it was the only available record of set 1990 as at the time time the 4th Respondent came to collect the certificate.

He further explained that all the certificates he issued relating to year 2001 (crisis  year) and below, were issued in accordance with Class Result since using the position and number in class was not prohibited by the school or by the LGEA until the master list was later found in one of the old Registers sometime in 2008.

Witness further told the Tribunal that Muhammadu, Muhammad, Mohammad and Mohammed are one and the same name.

Another Subpoenaed witness Shehu Ibrahim Abubakar (4RW1) a trader who lives in Anguwan Rogo Jos North came to the Tribunal with an enlarged photograph of set 1990 pupils of Anguwan Rogo Primary School. 

The photograph was admitted in evidence and marked as exhibit 4R1. The witness during examination in chief identified himself and the 4th Respondent who was standing behind their teacher (Teacher Thomas) in the photograph as stated in paragraph 7 of his statement on oath.

Hassan Adam Ibrahim (4RW2) lives at Anguwan Rogo Jos North and a trader too. Witness also adopted an original and photo copy of testimonial result and post card photograph of set 1990 of LGEA Primary School Anguwan Rogo.

4WR2 equally identified the 4th Respondent in the picture. Witness also told the Tribunal the names of some of their teachers in 1990 as Teacher Ali, Teacher Thomas, Teacher Usman, Teacher Amoiza.

Usman Zakari is 4WR3 is a civil servant who was Subpoenaed to come with documents. Witness identified himself and the 4th Respondent in the 1990 set of pupils of Anguwan Rogo Primary School.

Witness told the Tribunal that the name of the Headmistress in 1990 is Mrs. Elizabeth Atang. Witness who is the supervisor of teachers in under Jos North Local Government Education Authority stated that in all honesty that 4th Respondent did not forged the result.

Another Subpoenaed witness Shehu Muhammad Abdullah, a retired civil servant also identified and adopted his witness statement on oath.

The witness who is a former teacher in Anguwan Rogo Primary School said he knew the 4th Respondent graduated from the school even though he was  not yet a teacher in the school in 1990 stressing that Administration is a continuity.

Witness added that Muhammad Adam and Muhammad Adam Alkali are the same person.

The matter was adjourned to 25th July 2023 for adoption of Written Addresses.