Gov Ayade Didn’t Falsify Age, Lawyer Says • Accuses SAN Of Media Trial

ben_ayade_certificate_of_returnA Senior Lawyer, Mr. Paul Erokoro (SAN), has accused a fellow Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Joe Agi, of inundating the media with distorted facts about his age falsification case against Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade.

Erokoro, who is Ayade’s lawyer in the suit, also charged the media to be mindful of how they report the matter since it is still before the court.

He also accused Mr. Agi of subjecting the governor to a media trial, and in the process, distorting the facts of the case.

According to the learned silk, “Any suggestions that Prof Ben Ayade forged his age declaration is ridiculous. The governor’s age declaration, which he submitted to both his party and INEC, carries his correct date of birth, 2nd March, 1968.

“His driver’s license, voter’s card, current and old international passports, all carry that date of birth. His records in all the schools he ever attended, including the University of Ibadan and the Nigerian Law School, all carry that same date of birth”.

Erokoro further claimed that “Mr Joseph Agi SAN is not in court about a forged age declaration. He is trying to capitalise on a simple error made by the governor’s special assistant on his nomination form, by writing 1969 instead of 1968. Neither date makes a difference to Prof Ayade’s qualification for the office of governor”.

“Both PDP and INEC saw it as a trivial error, especially as his age declaration attached to the form showed his correct age. Mr Agi is however, bent on feeding distorted facts to a section of the media in order to scandalise the governor”, the SAN said.

Mr. Erokoro, therefore, appealed to the media to get their information from the correct source, “in this case, the records of the court”.