The Federal High Court in Gusau has adjourned the suit filed by a pressure group, Northern Youth Assembly and others against Bello Matawalle, Zamfara Governor and three others for alleged perjury.
The group in the suit alleged that there were discrepancies in the academic and birth certificates, Matawalle presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to seek re-election in the 2023 poll.
The case, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, was later transferred to the Federal High Court sitting in Gusau.
It was listed for mention on October. 4 but adjourned until October 19 (today) for further mention.
At the resumed hearing of the suit on Wednesday, the presiding Judge, Justice Aminu Bappa-Aliyu adjourned the case until October 27 for, a “definite hearing.”
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the adjustment, counsel to the first respondent, (Bello Matawalle), Muhammad Shamsuddeen, holding brief for Ahmed Raji, SAN, said the first respondent filed a motion of preliminary objection on the matter.
He said that the “plaintiffs were not known to law” as they were not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as required by law.
Musbau Salaudeen who appeared for the plaintiffs declined to speak to the press saying he had no clearance from his clients to do so.
However, the documents provided by the group as contained in the suit FHC/GS/CS/27/2022, claimed there were three different dates of birth submitted on three occasions to INEC between 2015 and 2022.
In the suit, the petitioners claimed that the documents Matawalle presented to INEC for 2015, 2019, and the 2023 elections regarding his secondary school qualifications were not the same.
The plaintiffs, therefore, prayed the court to declare a case of perjury and non-possession of valid minimum secondary school certificate against the governor.
Bappa-Aliyu said the court would on the adjourned date, commence a definite hearing in the substantive suit.