LP Chieftain Sues WAEC, UNN, NYSC Over Obi’s Credentials

A chieftain of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, has filed three separate suits at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking access to official records concerning the academic and service credentials of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress for the 2027 election.

The suits were filed against the West African Examinations Council, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps.

Arabambi is asking the court to issue orders of mandamus compelling the institutions to release existing records relating to certificates associated with Obi.

The plaintiff said the suits followed requests he made to the three institutions under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, seeking information about records in their custody.

According to the court documents, the action against WAEC, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2064/2026, was filed on September 1. The suit against NYSC, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2063/2026, was also filed on September 1, while the case against UNN, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026, was filed on September 9.

Arabambi said he was not asking the court to determine whether the certificates Obi submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 presidential election were genuine or forged.

Rather, he wants the institutions to disclose what their own official records show concerning the certificates and the information attached to them.

In the WAEC case, he is seeking a certified true copy of WAEC Certificate No. SC042560, stated to have been issued to Obi Gregory Onwubuase in June 1978.

For UNN, he is seeking access to the university’s certificate register, academic and graduation records, Senate or degree-award records and other existing documents relating to Certificate No. D000198.

In the NYSC case, Arabambi is seeking records relating to Certificate No. 203495, stated to have been issued to Obi, Gregory Peter-Onwubuase, on May 1, 1986.

He is also asking the court to compel NYSC to provide information on the use of the name “Peter-Onwubuase” in its records.

Arabambi argued that the information sought was in the public interest, particularly because it concerns transparency and accountability involving a person seeking the nation’s highest elective office.

The cases have added a fresh legal dimension to questions surrounding Obi’s credentials ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

No hearing date had been fixed for the three suits as of Sunday.