A chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, has sued the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) over the credentials of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi.
The plaintiff, in three separate suits before a Federal High Court in Abuja, predicated his action on the alleged refusal of the affected federal institutions to release details of Obi’s academic record in their custody in line with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The suit against WAEC, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2064/2026, was filed on September 1; that of UNN, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026, was filed on September 9; while the suit against NYSC, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2063, was also filed on September 1.
His counsel, Anderson Asemota, who filed the three separate suits, pointed out that his client was not asking the court to determine whether the certificates the NDC candidate attached to his Form EC 9, submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the purpose of the 2027 presidential election, were “genuine or forged” but merely seeks “disclosure of the respondents’ official records from which the status and particulars of the certificate may be ascertained.”
According to the plaintiff, he had written separately to the respondents demanding information concerning the certificates he believed they issued to Obi, but up until the time of filing the suits, he was yet to receive the requested information or even communication on why the said information would not be given to him.
While claiming that the information sought is in the interest of the public and “for purposes of transparency and accountability concerning persons seeking public office,” Arabambi stated that he is not asking the respondents “to create any document or information which does not exist” but “access only to existing official records within the custody, possession, or control of the respondents.”
With regards to the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2064/2026, Arabambi is specifically asking the court to compel WAEC to release a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the WAEC Certificate No. SC042560, issued to Obi Gregory Onwubuase in June 1978.
Similarly, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026, Arabambi said he is seeking, “in particular, the University’s certificate register, academic records, graduation records, Senate/degree-award records, and other existing official records relevant to Certificate No. D000198, insofar as such records exist.
“That applicant is not asking this Court, in this proceeding, to pronounce that Certificate No. D000198 is genuine or forged. That rather, seek to ascertain what the University’s own official records disclose concerning the certificate.”
In the third suit, the LP chieftain explained that what he is simply seeking for is “access to specifically identified official records relating to NYSC Certificate No. 203495, stated to have been issued to Obi, Gregory Peter-Onwubuase (Mr.) on May 1, 1986.”
Arabambi besides wants 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.
“That the request further sought information concerning the manner in which the name ‘Peter-Onwubuase’ appears in the relevant NYSC records.”
According to court documents, while WAEC had on August 11 turned down the request of the plaintiff on grounds of the provisions of Sections 14(1)(a) and Section 14(2)(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, both the UNN and NYSC neither granted the request nor gave any reason for their refusal.
The plaintiff wants the court to declare that “the refusal of the respondents to furnish the applicant with the requested information as communicated in its letter dated 11th August 2026; and in reliance on Section 14(1)(a) and Section 14(2)(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 is erroneous.”
He is therefore asking the court to hold that his request made pursuant to the FOIA Act, 2011, “constitutes a valid request for information within the contemplation of the Freedom of Information Act.”
“And that, the failure therefore constitutes a refusal and/or deemed refusal under the Act.”
Arabambi is further asking the court for “an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to communicate to the applicant the result of a verification of the particulars of Certificate No. D000198 from the University’s existing official records, including whether the said certificate and/or its particulars appear in those records.”
“An order of mandamus compelling the Respondents to communicate to the Applicant the result of their verification of Certificate No. 203495 as disclosed by their official records.
“An order directing the Respondents, if they contend that any part of the requested information is exempt from disclosure, to identify the particular information withheld and the precise statutory provision relied upon for the refusal, and to disclose all severable non-exempt portions.
“An order pursuant to Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act directing disclosure of the requested information where this Honourable Court finds that the Respondents are not authorized to deny access, have no reasonable grounds for denying access, or that the public interest in disclosure outweighs the interest served by withholding it.”
No date has been announced for the hearing in the three separate suits.
