Usman Ododo, Kogi APC Governorship In Document Forgery Mess

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the November 11 Kogi state governorship election, Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo, is expected to face criminal trials over his alleged involvement in forgery.

According to court papers seen by FreshNews multi-media, Ododo is accused of forging some of the documents he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The case against Ododo was filed by three members of the All Progressives Congress, APC. They include Abdul Ibrahim, Israel Tochukwu and Husseini Odaudu, acting as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd complainants.

Ododo, also a member of the APC, is the sole defendant. 

Among other charges, Ododo is accused of falsifying his credentials and declaration of age. He is also accused of forging his putative father's signature on the declaration of age document, with dates indicating Saturday and Sunday, both of which are work-free days for judicial workers in Nigeria. 

The criminal case, filed before a Chief Magistrate court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and dated October 17, 2023, is in accordance with section 89 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 which requires that a direct summons to be issued against Ododo.

The charges read as follow:

“That the Complainants state that the Defendant submitted Fake/Forged declaration of age contained in his Form EC9 to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Headquarters in Abuja in aid of qualifying him to contest the next governorship election of Kogi State 2023.

“The Complainants' state that the said declaration of age was deposed to by one Usman Ododo, on the 2/8/2003 which was on a Saturday when no judicial workers works or Court operates.

“The Complainants state that the said declaration of age was signed by the Defendant Usman Ahmed Ododo, himself instead of the declarant Usman Ododo.

“The Complainants state that the signature of the declarant appended on the said declaration of age is the same signature appended on the form EC9 Usman Ahmed Ododo, and resignation letter of Usman Ahmed Ododowithdrawing from the services of Kogi Auditor General for local government.

“The Complainants state that the Defendant also submitted a fake/forged BSc Certificate in Accounting (Forensic) allegedly obtained in 2014 from the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State.

“That as at 2014 when the Defendant claimed to have graduated from the school, Accounting as a course was yet to be Accredited by the National Universities Commission

“That the Accreditation of Accounting in the school was done in 2017, three years after the Defendant claimed to have graduated.

“That no University in Nigeria can graduate any student without the National Universities Commission's approval.”