The Supreme Court has barred Sani Danladi, a Ministerial Nominee, from holding any political office

In 2019, President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominee from Taraba State, Senator Sani Danladi, faced a significant setback when the Supreme Court barred him from contesting or holding any political office for ten years due to allegations of certificate forgery and age falsification.

Before the 2019 general elections, a High Court in Jalingo found that Danladi had presented a forged document to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and disqualified him from contesting the election. The case proceeded to the Court of Appeal and ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court’s judgment, confirming the fraudulent nature of the certificate presented by Danladi to INEC.

In July 2019, the Supreme Court dismissed Danladi’s appeal for being incompetent and failing to meet legal requirements, leading to the enforcement of the earlier judgment that barred him from participating in any elections for ten years. The decision meant that Danladi’s disqualification from the 2019 Governorship election in Taraba State still stood, and the Federal High Court’s ruling remained valid and in effect.

The Taraba State government released a statement outlining the implications of the judgment on Danladi’s political career and future. The ruling dealt a severe blow to his political prospects, rendering him ineligible to contest or hold any political office for the next ten years. It also opened the possibility of facing legal consequences, as lying on oath in INEC form CF001 and using a forged certificate for political gain are considered criminal offenses.

The state government was urged to issue a Government White Paper recognizing the judgment and publish it in the official Gazette of the state to make the ruling legally binding. Failure to do so could lead to accusations of aiding and abetting crime. Consequently, Sani Danladi’s political and moral standing were severely compromised, and he faced the prospect of being sent to prison if investigations and legal actions were initiated against him based on the evidence presented during the case.