The Federal High Court, Gombe, on Wednesday struck out the certificate forgery case against the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) governorship candidate in the state, Khamisu Mailantarki.

The court gave the ruling in the suit filed on August 4 last year by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the state, Jibrin Barde.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and NNPP were also listed as respondents in the case.

Mailantarki’s lawyer, Herbert Nwoye, who briefed journalists on the case at the weekend, described it as baseless.

He said the court dismissed the case following the failure of the plaintiff to file their case within 14 days as required by the Electoral Act, 2022.

Nwoye said: “ The court on Wednesday delivered its judgement dismissing the suit, sustaining the preliminary objection on account of locus standi.

“That the plaintiff didn’t comply with the requirements of section 285 of the Electoral Act which requires that such suits should be filed within 14 days from the time the cause of action accrued.”