Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A chieftain of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, has dragged the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and its Vice-Chancellor before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the institution’s alleged refusal to release the academic records of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, in a case that has reopened the long-running controversy over Obi’s academic credentials ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026, was filed on September 9, 2026, by Arabambi’s lawyer, Anderson Asemota. In the originating motion, Arabambi, a former factional spokesperson for the Labour Party, is asking the court to compel the university to provide certified true copies of documents relating to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy allegedly awarded to Obi in 1984. The Vice-Chancellor of the university and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, were joined as the first and second respondents respectively. The case is before the Federal High Court in Abuja and has not yet been assigned to a judge.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the suit, Arabambi requested a certified true copy of Certificate No. D000198, alleged to have been issued by UNN to Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi in respect of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1984. He also requested certified copies of Obi’s academic records, graduation and degree-award documents, certificate-register entries, Senate or academic approval records, and any other official records upon which the award of the degree was based. The request was contained in a letter dated July 16, 2026, which was delivered to and received by the respondents on August 6, 2026. Arabambi said he made the request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, and cited public interest and accountability as the basis for seeking the documents.
Arabambi alleged that the university failed and neglected to provide the requested information within the period prescribed by the Act. He further stated that the respondents did not communicate to him a written notice of refusal identifying the specific provision of the Act relied upon for refusing access. Following the alleged failure to respond, Arabambi said he sent a reminder letter dated August 31, 2026, restating his request and demanding the documents. The reminder was reportedly delivered to and received by the respondents on September 1, 2026, as evidenced by a delivery receipt. The affidavit, deposed to by Chuku Maudlyn, a litigation secretary in the law firm of Messrs Neplus Ultra Attorneys, averred that the delivery receipt identified the receiver as the Vice-Chancellor and the destination as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Arabambi maintained that as of the time the suit was filed, the respondents had neither supplied the requested records nor issued what he considered a lawful written notice of refusal.
The applicant is seeking 19 reliefs from the court. He wants the court to declare that his written request made pursuant to the FOI Act constitutes a valid request for information within the contemplation of the Act. He also seeks an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to furnish him with a certified true copy of certificate number D000198 issued by the university if the said certificate exists in the custody, possession or control of the respondents. Additionally, he is asking the court to compel the respondents to furnish him with certified copies of the existing official academic and institutional records relating to the said degree and the certificate, including relevant academic records, graduation and degree-award records, certificate-register entries, Senate or academic approval records relating to the award, as well as other official records upon which the degree or certificate was based.
In his grounds for the application, Arabambi argued that the FOI Act gives applicants a statutory right to access information held by public institutions. He contended that UNN is subject to the provisions of the Act and that the information he requested relates directly to a certificate whose authenticity has been a subject of public debate. The suit is the latest chapter in a controversy that has dogged Obi’s academic credentials since the buildup to the 2023 presidential election, when questions were raised about the validity of his degree certificate and his name, Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi, which differs from the name he uses in public life. Obi has consistently maintained that he attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and that his academic records are authentic.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has not issued a public response to the suit. The case has generated significant public interest, given Obi’s position as a leading opposition figure and his stated ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election. The outcome of the suit could have far-reaching implications for his candidacy and for the broader debate over transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s electoral process. As the court prepares to hear the matter, the question on the minds of many Nigerians is whether UNN will release the records or continue to resist the FOI request, and what that decision will mean for the future of one of the country’s most prominent political figures.
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