By Priye Briggs
A Labour Party chieftain, Abayomi Arabambi, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel three institutions to release certified copies of Peter Obi’s academic and service records.
The institutions named in the suits are the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Arabambi filed three separate suits under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, seeking orders of mandamus to compel disclosure of documents tied to certificates issued to “Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi.”
The documents include a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from UNN with Certificate No. D000198, a WAEC certificate from June 1978 with No. SC042560, and an NYSC discharge certificate from May 1986 with No. 203495. The suits are: FHC/ABJ/CS/2064/2026 against WAEC, FHC/ABJ/CS/2063/2026 against NYSC, and FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026 against UNN.
Arabambi’s lawyers told the court they had earlier written to the institutions and sent follow-ups to UNN but received no response within the period allowed by the FoI Act. He clarified that he is not asking the court to determine the authenticity of certificates Obi submitted to INEC for the 2027 presidential race, but only to compel disclosure of official records.
“The request is in the public interest, for purposes of transparency and accountability concerning persons seeking public office,” Arabambi said, stressing that he is not asking the institutions to fabricate documents but to provide access to existing records.
For UNN, he specifically requested access to the certificate register, academic and graduation records, as well as Senate and degree-award records linked to Certificate No. D000198. Regarding NYSC, he sought clarity on how the name “Peter-Onwubuase” appears in its records and the basis for Certificate No. 203495.
Court documents show WAEC responded on August 11, 2026, rejecting the request and citing Sections 14(1)(a) and 14(2)(a) and (b) of the FoI Act. UNN and NYSC, however, neither approved nor gave reasons for denying the request. Arabambi is urging the court to declare the refusals illegal, affirm the validity of his FoI applications, and rule that the silence of UNN and NYSC amounts to a deemed refusal.
He also asked the court to compel the institutions to specify any exemptions claimed and the legal grounds for withholding information.