Forensic investigation into the documents submitted by the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Sheriff Oborevwori, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appear to show some discrepancies, according to court documents sighted by Sunday Vanguard at the weekend.
Oborevwori, in the race for the governorship of Delta State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is facing a case of identity theft, impersonation and forgery instituted by Hon Evance O. Ivwurie in the District Court of Federal Capital Territory holden at Abuja.
Ivwurie had said in his claims: “The Defendant, in 2015 and 2019, represented himself to the Peoples Democratic Party, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the people of Delta State at large, that he attended Ogherehi Grammar School from 1996 to 1999 where he allegedly obtained his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) Certificate. “A certified True Copy of the Certificate from the Records of INEC is hereby pleaded and shall be relied upon.
“People’s Democratic Party, convinced by the presentation of the Defendant, accepted the nomination and participation of the Defendant to the 2015 and 2019 elections.
“Independent National Electoral Commission, also convinced by the representation of the Defendant, accepted the participation of the defendant as a candidate in the 2015 and 2019 State House of Assembly Election, and issued the Defendant with the required to certificate of return upon the defendant’s winning the aformentioned election.
“The complainant in the course of his advocacy for good governance noticed some discrepancies in the records of the Defendant to
i.Whereas the Defendant’s record with INEC shows that his claim of birth is June 19, 1963, the date of birth contained in the WASSCE Certificate of 1999 presented by the Defendant is November 12, 1979.
ii.Whereas Defendant’s names on record with INEC are Oborssvwon Sheriff Francis Orowhordor”, the name in the said WASSCE Certificate is “Oborovwori O. Francis”.
iii.The above mentioned apparent discrepancies regarding the age and name in the WASSCE Certificate presented by the Defendant, when compared with the record of the Defendant with INEC, caused the complainant to believe that a crime may have been committed by the Defendant. This suspicion made the complainant to commence an investigation into the credentials of the Defendant.
iv.In the course of the investigation, certain students who attended Oghareki Grammar School, and graduated in 1999, the same period the Defendant allegedly attended and graduated from Oghareki Grammar School, voluntarily gave statements to the investigation team and also deposed to affidavit.
v.None of the students in the school remembered the attendance of the Defendant in the school at any time whatsoever ….they graduated from the school in 1999. The said students in their statements and affidavit stated that the Defendant was not at any time a member of their class up and unit they graduated in 1999.
vi.The Complainant herein has now filed this Direct Criminal Complaint against the Defendant in line with his resolve to fight for good governance in his state (Delta State)”.
Meanwhile, the police waded into the matter by conducting forensic analysis of the photograph on Oborevwori WASSCE certificate submitted to INEC as well as the one on his form to the electoral body, according to court documents.
In a letter by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Department of Intelligence, dated July 21, 2022, the Commissioner of Police, Forensic Science Laboratory was asked to examine a case of identity theft, impersonation and forgery against Oborevwori.
The result of the forensic conducted by Apex Forensic Limited, dated July 25, 2022 and addressed to the IRT Deputy Commssioner of Police, shows that the passport photograph in the WASSCE certificate the Speaker submitted to INEC and the one on his form are different individual passport photographs, the court documents said