Legal Battle Brews Over Peter Obi’s Credentials Ahead of 2027 Elections
- A Labour Party chieftain filed three separate suits at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking access to Peter Obi's academic and service records
- The suits target WAEC, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the NYSC after the plaintiff said his Freedom of Information requests went unanswered
- The plaintiff said he is not challenging whether Obi's certificates are genuine but wants the institutions to disclose what their official records show
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Three suits filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja are seeking to force WAEC, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to release records linked to Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general elections.
The suits were filed by Abayomi Arabambi, a chieftain of the Labour Party, through his legal team led by Anderson Asemota.
Source: UGC
As reported by Vanguard, Arabambi said he had written separately to each institution requesting information about certificates he believed they had issued to Obi, but received no satisfactory response.
WAEC formally declined his request on August 11, citing sections 14(1)(a) and 14(2)(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011. Both UNN and NYSC neither granted his request nor gave any reason for refusing it.
What the plaintiff is asking for
The suit against WAEC, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2064/2026, was filed on September 1 and seeks a certified true copy of WAEC Certificate No. SC042560, said to have been issued to Obi Gregory Onwubuase in June 1978.
The suit against UNN, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026 and filed on September 9, seeks the university's certificate register, academic records, graduation records, and Senate degree-award records relating to Certificate No. D000198.
The third suit, against NYSC and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2063/2026, was also filed on September 1. It seeks access to records tied to NYSC Certificate No. 203495, said to have been issued to Obi Gregory Peter-Onwubuase on May 1, 1986.
Arabambi also wants the court to compel NYSC to clarify how the name "Peter-Onwubuase" appears in its records.
Arabambi told the court he is not asking for a ruling on whether the certificates Obi attached to Form EC 9, submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 presidential election, are "genuine or forged."
He said he only wants the institutions to disclose what their own official records show.
Grounds and prayers before the court
The plaintiff argued that the information he seeks serves the public interest, particularly on grounds of "transparency and accountability concerning persons seeking public office."
He is asking the court to declare WAEC's refusal unlawful and to issue orders of mandamus compelling all three institutions to communicate verification results from their official records.
He is also asking that if any institution claims part of the information is exempt from disclosure, it should identify the specific information withheld and the exact legal provision it is relying on.
Additionally, he is invoking Section 25 of the FOI Act, which allows a court to order disclosure where it finds that a public institution has no reasonable grounds for withholding information or that the public interest outweighs the case for secrecy.
No hearing date has been fixed for any of the three suits.
Source: Instagram
Davido speaks after Peter Obi reveals his wealth
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that TV host Oseni Rufai shared a clip of Peter Obi detailing how he built his wealth, sparking a challenge to other Nigerian politicians.
Peter Obi cited franchises with major brands like Heinz and South African Breweries, as well as significant shareholding in multiple banks.
Davido weighed in on the viral moment with a blunt reaction that got people talking.
Source: Legit.ng
