The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon Christopher Zakka (aka Maikalangu), is presently in court with a fellow member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over primary school certificate forgery allegation, despite the police saying it already concluded investigations of the allegation and the Attorney-General of the Federation directing the case of forgery should be terminated. PAUL OKAH reports.
Ahead of the 2026 FCT Area Council Election, the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Zakka (aka Maikalangu), is facing allegation of Primary School Leaving Certificate forgery, which he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of his election as Garki Ward Councillor in 2013 and as AMAC chairman in 2022.
In the beginning
After being declared winner of the AMAC chairmanship election by INEC in February 2022, Zakka, who was elected under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 19,302 votes, was taken to the FCT Area Council Election Tribunal by the APC candidate, Hon. Murtala Usman Karshi, who secured 13,249 votes, but alleged Zakka had presented a forged Primary School Leaving Certificate to INEC ahead of the election.
After analysing investigative reports from the police and other evidence in Suit No: FCT/ACEAT/AP/01/2022, on October 2, 2022, the three-man FCT Area Council Election Appeal Tribunal, including Hon. Justice S. B. Belgore (chairman), Hon. Justice Yusuf Halilu (member 1), Hon. Justice Jude O. Onwuegbuzie (member 2), dismissed the allegation against Zakka and declared him winner of the election.
Fresh litigation
Interestingly, barely three years after the FCT Area Council Election Appeal Tribunal ruling on the certificate forgery on March 24, 2025, a member of the APC, Awalu Tanko Mohammed, resurrected the Primary School Leaving Certificate forgery allegation against Zakka in suit No. AB/ CR/DUT/324/2025 as a Direct Criminal Complaint at the Magistrate Court 2, Dutse Alhaji, FCT.
The complainant reiterated the 2022 allegation that Zakka had forged the Primary School Leaving Certificate he submitted to the INEC ahead of winning the Garki Ward Councillorship election in 2013 and AMAC chairmanship election in February 2022. His Worship, Hon. Abdullahi Ahmed Ilelah, is expected to rule on the case.
AGF’s order
Meanwhile, in a letter dated August 20, 2024, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN, issued a strong directive that the case of allegation of Primary School Certificate Forgery against Zakka be terminated immediately.
In the letter addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, with the heading: “Re: Forwarding of Duplicate Case File FCT/X/D15B/188/2022 All Progressive Congress (APC) vs Christopher Zaka”, AGF Fagbemi said the Federal Capital Territory Area Council Election Petition Tribunal had ruled on the case in petition no: FCT/ACEPT/EP/03/2022 between Murtala Usman, All Progressives Council (APC) vs. Christopher Zakka & 2 Ors.
He said in the letter that, following a careful consideration and review of the duplicate case file, with the ruling on the case by the Federal Capital Territory Area Council Election Petition Tribunal in 2022, no useful purpose will be served pursuing the same course.
“Accordingly, the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice directed that the case, FCT/X/D15B/188/2022 between All Progressive Congress (APC) VS Christopher Zaka, be terminated,” the letter stated.
Police speak
Similarly, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), FCT Police Command, Abuja, said it had earlier investigated allegations of forgery of First School Leaving Certificate levelled against the chairman of AMAC, Zakka and investigation report has already been issued.
The FCT police said it had forwarded the matter to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Federal Ministry of Justice for diligent prosecution.
The revelation was made in a letter dated March 27, 2025, with Reference No: AR: 3000/FCT/X/D15/VOL.84/158, signed by ACP Juliana O. Godwin, for Deputy Commissioner of Police, CID, FCT Police Command, Abuja.
It was in response to a directive on March 24, 2025, by Presiding Chief Magistrate of Court 1, Dutse Alhaji, FCT, His Worship, Hon. Abdullahi Ahmed Ilelah, who directed the police to investigate the allegation of certificate forgery against Zakka in suit No. AB/ CR/DUT/324/2025 and report back to the court within two weeks.
Maikalangu’s lawyer
Meanwhile, in the counter affidavit filed by Zakka through his lawyer, Charles Ikenna Okoye, Esq, obtained by our reporter on May 6, in response to the Direct Criminal Complaint by Mohammed, it is stated in paragraph 4 that the case of alleged forgery against Zakka was already terminated by the AGF and the DPP.