Certificate Scandal: PDP Petitions WAEC HQs, Ghana President Over Fraud In Nigeria
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has written the West African Examination Council (WAEC) accusing its Nigerian Office of tendering false evidence in support of the Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, at the election petition Tribunal.
The PDP said the Nigerian WAEC Office aided Abdulrazaq, who as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) allegedly presented a false certificate at Independent Natronal Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2019 election.
PDP made the claims in the letter dated July 15, 2019 which was signed by the national legal adviser of the Party, Emmanuel Enoidem and titled, Kwara State Governorship Election Tribunal: PDP v Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; false and fraudulent evidence tendered by WAEC.
The letter was addressed to the registrar to Council of WAEC, Dr Iyi Uwadiae, based in Ghana was also copied to President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo; president of The Gambia, Adama Barrow; President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio; and President of Liberia, George Weah.
The PDP claimed that the examination council after playing hide and seek over a subpoena by the Tribunal, sent conflict representatives to appear for in court over the matter.
The party further claimed that Abdulrazaq’s sister Khalrat AbduiRasaq Gwadabe has been frequenting the Lagos National Office of WAEC since the Tribunal case began.
While noting dismay over the situation, PDP threatened legal if WAEC fails to take action over the matter.
According to the letter “we are constrained to let you know that under your tenure, the name of WAEC has been brought into disrepute. This sort of fraud is being perpetrated under your watch. It is being said in some quarters that a fraud of this complexity, magnitude and scale cannot be executed without the knowledge of the man at the very top.
“We are aware that Mr Abdulrazaq’s sister Khalrat AbduiRasaq Gwadabe has been frequenting the Lagos National Office of WAEC ever since the Ttibunal case began. She is said to be a dose friend of the Acting Head of the Nigeria National Office, one Mrs Durojaiye. The visitors records at WAEC will buttress this fact as it has numerous entries of her visit.
“In fact his sister, Mrs Gwadabe and the Acting Head of Nigeria National Office, Mrs Durojaiye and other top official of WAEC went to have a meeting in Ghana. This coinaded with WAEC’s Regional Meeting.
“They arrived back together on a chartered night which landed at 5:40pm on 10 July at the Private Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
Upon landing, Mrs Gwadabe and Mrs Durojaiye went to continue the meeting in the WAEC office, Yaba, Lagos.
“Further, we are aware that there was recently a crude attempt at your National Office in Nigeria to alter 3 Records Department Register to include details of this disputed Certificate. This attempt was discovered because the entry was irregular and crude.
“In the final analysis, this episode shows that there is a great deal of rot within WAEC. This has never been the case under the tenure of previous Registrars to Council of WAEC since its establishment in 1952.
“WAEC’s reputation has been seriously dented by this episode. There is a grave danger that a grossly devalued reputation due to fraudulent interference with its results, international bodies and employers might no longer accept WAEC results as credible. We do not want to contemplate other damage this will do.
“We therefore ask you to take urgent action to restore the reputation of WAEC by Conducting a thorough investigation into the sordid affair and take decisive action against those found culpable.
“Remedy the false evidence rendered by your staff by writing to the Tribunal directly. “Take notice that if WAEC fails to take the above action within 7 days from the date of this letter, we will commence legal proceedings to unravel this unwholesome fraud and recover punitive damages,” the letter read.
