In a surprising turn of events, the National Publicity Secretary of the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, and the spokesman for the party’s presidential campaign council, Yunusa Tanko, have expressed conflicting views on the credentials of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Arabambi, during an interview on Africa Independent Television, alleged that Peter Obi had discrepancies in the names written on his certificates from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate. He claimed that Obi’s form EC9, submitted for screening, indicated he attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and completed his youth service. However, in the final submission of the form, only his school certificate was presented.
Arabambi went on to suggest that the name used for the NYSC mobilization did not match the one on Obi’s NYSC certificate.
He noted that the party had previously raised this issue before the Supreme Court but said that Obi’s pleadings did not contain the necessary information. Arabambi further emphasized the need for Obi to reveal his true identity.
Tanko, on the other hand, challenged Arabambi to provide proof of his allegations against Peter Obi. In a telephone interview, he labeled the accusations as “mischievous” and emphasized that Obi’s academic records are publicly available.
Regarding Bola Tinubu’s academic records, Tanko pointed out that it was clear Tinubu did not present a document from the college he claimed to have attended. He questioned the credibility of Tinubu’s educational claims and noted that his educational history appeared inconsistent.
In response to the ongoing controversy, Tanko stated that Peter Obi called on Tinubu to publicly disclose his background, including his name and education details. Tanko believes that this transparency is essential to hold public figures accountable.
Tanko concluded by stressing the importance of fighting against forgery and misappropriation of the truth and invited all Nigerians to join the struggle for a better nation.