Certificate forgery allegation against Ex-speaker Masari ‘baseless’

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cleared Aminu Masari, former speaker of the house of representatives, of an allegation of certificate forgery.

Masari, who is the APC gubernatorial candidate in Katsina state, was accused by Festus Keyamo, a lawyer, of forging a post-graduate diploma certificate in water quality control and management from Middlesex Polytechnic in the United Kingdom.

“Kindly note, that in the year 2011, the subject of this petition, Aminu Bello Masari, contested for the office of governor of Katsina state under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). In filling Form CF-001 (Personal Particulars of Candidate), he alleged that he has a post-graduate diploma. As evidence of this, he attached a certificate in ‘postgraduate diploma in water quality control and management’ from Middlesex Polytechnic, United Kingdom,” Keyamo had written in a petition to the party on December 17, 2014.

“A simple inquiry that was made in the said polytechnic elicited a response that no such course was offered by the school in the said year. Kindly find attached the said response by email. We encourage you to do your own inquiry from the said institution and draw your own conclusion.”

But responding to Keyamo’s claim through Muiz Banire, its national legal adviser, the party said it had conducted its own investigations into the matter but found the allegation baseless.

“Please be informed that the national working committee of our great party has considered your letter with particular reference to the said allegations and does not find the allegations raised therein meritorious,” the party said.

“It is based on the foregoing that we are unable to reverse the nomination of Aminu Bello Masari as our gubernatorial candidate for Katsina state general election schedule to come up in February 2014.”