Alleged certificate discrepancies: Is Arabambi’s suit a threat to Obi’s 2027 ambition?

As campaigns for the 2027 general elections have commenced, instead of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, to be unveiling their strategy, a suit alleging discrepancies in his certificates has reared its ugly head. Will he scale the huddle? Asks KEHINDE OSASUNA.

The qualification of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, for the 2027 election is currently being challenged by a Labour Party’s (LP) chieftain, Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, who had dragged Obi to court over alleged discrepancies in his certificates.

This is not a new fight. It is the echoes of the 2023 political battles now hunting Obi, coupled with the internal war in NDC. Many believe that this crisis could hand the All Progressive Congress (APC) a free ride to Aso Villa.

Associates of Obi have said that he is not new to such a fight, and this might not ruffle him at all.

In 2023, it was opponents and bloggers questioning his documents. And now, a chieftain of his former party has taken him to court, claiming irregularities in his academic certificates.

The timing could not be worse, especially coming at a time the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has flagged off the presidential campaign on August 19.

While other parties are dusting up billboards and holding strategy meetings, Obi and his party will be explaining in court why its biggest asset should not be disqualified.

Is the current litigation a genuine search for truth on Obi’s certificate saga or it is a diversionary tactic? Or is it a ploy to distract and break NDC’s momentum?

‘Disclose official records’

In the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Arabambi has sued the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) over Obi’s academic credentials.

The case, which was filed by Arabambi at the Federal High Court in Abuja, was in three separate suits, seeking orders to compel the three institutions to release official records relating to certificates allegedly issued to Obi.

The suits instituted by the plaintiff are pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (2011), alleging that the institutions either refused or failed to respond to his requests for information concerning Obi’s academic records.

The suit against WAEC is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2064/2026 and was filed on September 1, 2026.

The action against the NYSC, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2063/2026 was filed by Arabambi’s lawyer, Anderson Asemota, who filed the suits on his client’s behalf on September 1, while the suit against the UNN, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026, was filed on September 9.

The plaintiff stressed that 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.

He said he was seeking “disclosure of the respondents’ official records from which the status and particulars of the certificate may be ascertained.” The plaintiff said he separately wrote to the three institutions requesting information about certificates he believed they issued to Obi.

He alleged that as of the time the suits were filed, he had neither received the requested information nor been given reasons why they were being withheld by the UNN and NYSC.

Arabambi said the information sought was in the public interest, particularly “for purposes of transparency and accountability concerning persons seeking public office.”

He also stated that he was not asking the institutions “to create any document or information which does not exist” but was seeking “access only to existing official records within the custody, possession or control of the respondents”.

Also, in the suit against WAEC, he specifically asked the court to compel the examination body to release a Certified True Copy of WAEC Certificate No. SC042560, issued to Obi Gregory Onwubuase in June 1978.

As for the UNN, Arabambi is seeking access to “the University’s certificate register, academic records, graduation records, Senate/ degree-award records, and other existing official records relevant to Certificate No. D000198.

The plaintiff stated that he was not asking the court to pronounce on the authenticity of the certificate but to “ascertain what the University’s own official records disclose concerning the certificate.”

In the case of NYSC, Arabambi is seeking access to official records relating to NYSC Certificate No. 203495, stated to have been issued to “Obi, Gregory Peter-Onwubuase (Mr.) on May 1, 1986.”

He is also asking for the “official record, certificate, document or other material upon which the said Certificate No.203495 was predicated, based or issued, insofar as the same is in the custody, possession or control of the respondents.”

The plaintiff further wants information concerning the manner in which the name “Peter-Onwubuase” appears in the relevant NYSC records.

Recent court documents, however, indicated that WAEC had, in a letter dated August 11, 2026, rejected Arabambi’s request. The body cited Sections 14(1)(a) and 14(2)(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

But Arabambi alleged that neither UNN nor NYSC had granted his requests as they were yet to communicate any reason for refusing them.

Consequent upon the actions, he is therefore asking the court to declare that the refusal by the respondents to furnish him with the requested information was erroneous.

He also asked the court to hold that his requests constituted valid applications for information under the Freedom of Information Act, and that the failure to provide the information amounted to “a refusal and/or deemed refusal under the Act.”

Reliefs sought are an ‘order of mandamus’ compelling UNN to communicate to him the result of its verification of the particulars of Certificate N0. D000198 from its existing official records, including whether the certificate and its particulars appear in those records.

He equally asked for an order compelling NYSC to communicate to him the result of its verification of Certificate No. 203495 based on its official records.

He also wants the court to direct the respondents, where they contend that any portion of the requested information is exempt from disclosure, to identify the information withheld and the specific statutory provision relied upon for the refusal.

He is also seeking an order directing the disclosure of all severable portions of the information that are not exempt.

In addition, Arabambi wants the court to invoke Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act and order disclosure where it finds that the respondents are not authorised to deny access, have no reasonable grounds for doing so, or where the public interest in disclosure outweighs the interest served by withholding the information.

LP denies Arabambi

However, in a dramatic turn of event, the LP, a few days ago, disowned its former National Publicity Secretary, Arabambi, who instituted the legal action.

In a statement its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, the party insisted that Arabambi was no longer a member of the party, having been among 25 members suspended by its National Executive Council in March for alleged anti-party activities.

The suspension, according to him, was subsequently ratified by its National Convention on April 28, 2026, after which the affected members ceased to be members of the LP.

“If Arabambi has presented himself to the public as a chieftain or representative of the Labour Party, the general public is hereby notified that such representation is entirely unauthorised and, prima facie, amounts to impersonation,” he said.

Also, in another defence, Obi’s party, the NDC has defended the academic credentials of its 2027 presidential candidate, saying he had a verifiable academic pedigree and challenged Arabambi to produce any evidence suggesting otherwise.

They have therefore dismissed the three suits filed by Arabambi.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said Arabambi had himself acknowledged that he was not challenging the genuineness of Obi’s certificate and queried the basis for his demand for the records.

He said, “Arabambi has said it himself that he is not doubting the genuineness of Peter Obi’s certificate. So, why does he want it? I am sure those institutions feel that his demand is frivolous. That’s why they refused to listen to him.”

Obi’s standpoint

As the issue escalates further, Obi has asked the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to release his academic records.

In a statement on Tuesday on X, he said he had no objection to the release of his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, which he said was awarded by the university in 1984, as well as other academic records relating to his admission and studies at the institution.

“I wish to state clearly that I have absolutely no objection to the release of these records,” Obi said.

He said further that, “I respectfully request that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, within the limits permitted by law, make available, upon legitimate request, my academic certificates, records, and other official documents relating to my admission and studies at the University.”

Obi added that he had no objection to other educational institutions he attended, both within and outside Nigeria, releasing his academic records in accordance with applicable laws and procedures.

Is the legal brawl enough to distract Obi and the NDC’s campaign? Time will tell.