The Dutse Magistrate court on Friday adjourned the forgery trial of Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council ,AMAC, indefinitely, pending the conclusion of a judicial review currently before the FCT High Court in Gwagwalada.
Zaka, who recently decamped to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, is being tried for submitting forged primary school certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, during his election bids in 2013 and 2021.
At the resumed hearing before Chief Magistrate Abdullahi Ilela of the Dutse Magistrates’ Court, the defence team informed the court that the case had been brought before Justice Aliyu Yinusa Shaffa of the FCT High Court in Gwagwalada for judicial review.
While delivering judgement, the lower court judge affirmed that “This matter is hereby adjourned sine die pending the outcome of the judicial review,” Magistrate Ilela ruled.
The forgery allegations stem from a direct criminal complaint filed by Mr. Awalu Mohammed, a resident of AMAC, who alleged that Zakka submitted inconsistent and possibly forged First School Leaving Certificates to INEC.
Specifically, Zakka is accused of claiming to have attended two different primary schools over overlapping years—Festival Road Primary School from 1983 to 1989 in his 2013 filing and LEA Model Science Primary School from 1984 to 1989 in his 2021 filing.
In addition to the alleged inconsistencies in school records, Mohammed is also challenging the authenticity of affidavits submitted by Zakka regarding age declaration and name correction.
According to court filings, Mohammed obtained Certified True Copies (CTCs) of Zakka’s Form EC9 and nomination documents from INEC and the FCT Area Council Election Tribunal to support his claims. He also cited a police investigation report that purportedly corroborates the forgery allegation.
While speaking after the court session on Friday, counsel for the complainant, Israel Joseph Peter, expressed concern over what he described as deliberate attempts to stall the legal process.
“The matter came up today for mention. As at the last sitting of the court, the counsel for the defendant undertook that the defendant, who was sick, would be in court today unfailingly,” Peter said.
“Upon our arrival, the defendant was not in court, and there was no excuse given as to why he was not in court.”
“However, they had approached the High Court in Gwagwalada for a judicial review of the case in this Magistrates’ Court. So, based on the fact that they filed that application, the matter here cannot continue,” he added.
“The court itself and the complainant before the court were all sued by the defendant before that court, and by virtue of that dependency, we have to wait until the judicial review is determined by the High Court.”
