The All Progressives Congress deputy governor-elect in Bayelsa State, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, said on Thursday that he did not forge any of his certificates.
He described the Supreme Court Judgment t of February 13, which nullified the victory of the party’s governor-elect on the ground that he (Degi-Eremienyo) submitted forged certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a stain on him.
The former Senator insisted that all the certificates submitted to INEC were genuinely his and asked the police to vet his credentials.
Degi-Eremienyo, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Thursday lamented that the apex court judgment had left him greatly traumatised and in distress.
He said, “The aim of this press conference is to defend my reputation which the Justices of the Supreme Court whether consciously or unconsciously, subjected to scurrilous scandal, assault and unfair imputation.
“The judgment of the Supreme Court that I was not qualified to contest as the deputy governorship candidate of APC and my attendant disqualification adversely affected the governorship candidate of the APC.
“The result was that our hard-earned victory, not just for ourselves, but our party and the majority of the good people of Bayless state who have entrusted us with the mandate to democratically govern them, is threatened.
“The event of my disqualification is distressing and traumatising to me personally and, of course, a greater trauma was inflicted on my party, the governorship candidate and the good people of Bayelsa who signified their choice of who should be their governor and deputy governor.
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“Let me state that some of my primary school teachers are still alive: Chief Eredogiyo Watson, Chief Allen Obebe-Orukari and Susan Otiotio.
“Let me also state in clear and graphic terms that I attended two secondary schools.
“First, Nyemoni Grammar School, Abonnema, Rivers State where some of my classmates were Harrison Braide, Tombo Douglas, Ferdinand Amabebe: Professor Owunari George Will, Justice Biobele Georgewill, Chief David Briggs and Alpheus Otta and some of my teachers were Mr. Wamarte and Mrs. Humbly, Mr. Frank etc.
“All my academic certificates are in the public domain. Whether they are genuine or forged are verifiable matters.
“If these certificates exist and have not been altered in any manner, it would mean they are genuine. The next enquiry would then be if the names appearing thereon belong to me or belong to some other persons.
“If no other persons can be found who claim the names in the certificates then they are mine.
“Judges including justices of the Supreme Court are free to request law enforcement agencies to investigate persons who appear before them as to the commission or otherwise of crimes.
“All the educational qualifications I presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission to aid my constitutional qualification were acquired by me personally from institutions here in Nigeria which are still in existence till date. The records are verifiable anytime and any day here in Nigeria.”
