As political gladiators and parties prepare for the governorship primaries scheduled for April in Ondo State, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is facing allegations that his academic credentials are fake.
Ondo State Redemption Initiative (OSRI), which claims to be a social-political group, on Monday, raised the alarm over the governor’s qualifications, warning the ruling All Progressives Congress to beware of his political aspiration.
A statement signed by the group’s President, Adebayo Ogunsanmi, Secretary, Jide Oriola, and Publicity Secretary, Sunday Ayeni, alleged that Mr Aiyedatiwa’s educational claims were fraudulent.
According to the group, Mr Aiyedatiwa’s resume indicates that he obtained an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Ibadan in 2001. However, it asserted that after investigation, it found that such a diploma was not available at the University of Ibadan in 2001.
While scrutinising the governor’s academic records, the group said his educational journey commenced at Saint Peter’s UNA (now FAC) Primary School in Obe Nla/Obe Adun, Ilaje Local Government Area (LGA), Ondo State, from 1970 to 1976. He pursued his secondary education at Ikosi High School in Ketu, Lagos State, completing it in 1982.
The group further noted that in 1986, Mr Aiyedatiwa achieved his Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in Economics and Government at Lagos State College of Education (now known as Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education) located in Ijanikin, Lagos.
“He claimed to have earned an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Ibadan in 2001, after which he claimed to have become an alumnus of Lagos Business School – Pan Atlantic University, situated in Lekki, Lagos, though year and course of study were not included.
“He further claimed to have obtained a Post Graduate Certification in Chief Executive Education (CEP) in Business Management, after which he received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Liverpool in the UK, in 2013,” the statement read.
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The group stressed that the governor’s academic records were false and advised the APC not to field a candidate with questionable academic records.
But the governor has described the allegations as a blackmail attempt.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, in reaction to the allegation, noted that it was a “mischievous plan by some political actors to embark on fresh unsubstantiated allegations against the Governor.”
Mr Adeniyan said that after failing in their attempts to paint the Governor in bad light with the stories around the death of the former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the actors have resorted to blackmail.
“The first of such is to use faceless groups and individuals to make allegations of certificate forgery against the Governor.
“A governorship aspirant last night held a meeting with some individuals at a popular hotel in Akure where he gave the directive to those present to write stories alleging that the Governor used forged certificates to contest an election.
“It is important to alert members of the public to this plot, aimed at discrediting Mr Governor ahead of the coming governorship election in the State,” Mr Adeniyan stated.
The spokesperson added that Mr Governor contested on a joint ticket with his former principal in the 2020 governorship election, his credentials were duly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and those are in the public domain.
He contended that any attempt to raise allegations around the governor’s credentials must be a plot by those who failed in their efforts to impeach him when he was Deputy Governor.
Contentions have heightened since Mr Aiyedatiwa took over as governor, following the death of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, former governor of the state.
Though he is yet to officially declare his intention to contest the governorship, his ambition is well-known within government circles.
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