A chieftain of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, has sued the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) over their alleged refusal to release records relating to the academic qualifications of Peter Obi.
Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.
Arabambi filed three separate suits at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking access to official records relating to certificates he said were issued to Obi.
The suit against WAEC, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2064/2026, and the suit against NYSC, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2063/2026, were filed on September 1.
The case against UNN, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026, was filed on Wednesday.
The suits were filed by a team of lawyers led by Anderson Asemota.
Arabambi Seeks Access to Records
Arabambi said he had separately written to the three institutions requesting information on certificates he believed were issued to Obi.
According to the court documents, WAEC rejected his request, while UNN and NYSC did not grant the requests or provide reasons for their refusal.
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However, Arabambi said the suits were not asking the court to determine whether the certificates Obi submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 presidential election were genuine or forged.
Rather, he wants the institutions to release their official records so the status and details of the certificates can be established.
WAEC Certificate
In the suit against WAEC, Arabambi is asking the court to compel the examination council to release a certified true copy of certificate number SC042560, which he said was allegedly issued to Obi Gregory Onwubuase in June 1978.
He argued that the records would help establish the details contained in the certificate.
In the case against UNN, he is seeking access to the university’s certificate register, academic and graduation records, Senate or degree-award records and other official documents relating to certificate number D000198, where such records exist.
Arabambi stressed that he was not asking the court to rule on whether the certificate was genuine or forged.
NYSC Records
For the NYSC, Arabambi wants records relating to certificate number 203495, allegedly issued to “Obi, Gregory Peter Onwubuase (Mr.)” on May 1, 1986.
He is also seeking any official record, certificate or other document on which the NYSC certificate was based or issued.
A key issue raised in the suit is the appearance of the name “Peter-Onwubuase” in the relevant NYSC records.
The court documents also allege that there are variations in Obi’s name across documents submitted to INEC and educational institutions.
Dispute over FOI request
Arabambi said WAEC, in a letter dated August 11, rejected his request, citing sections 14(1)(a) and 14(2)(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information Act.
He argued that the decision was wrong and asked the court to declare that his request under the FOI Act was valid and should have been granted.
He is also seeking orders compelling the institutions to communicate the outcome of any verification carried out on the certificates against their official records.
For UNN, he wants the university to disclose whether certificate number D000198 and its particulars appear in its records.
He is similarly asking the NYSC to provide the result of its verification of certificate number 203495 based on its official records.
Arabambi further wants the court to order the institutions to identify any information they consider exempt from disclosure and state the specific law relied upon in withholding it.
He is also asking the court to direct the release of any portion of the requested information that is not exempt.
The plaintiff urged the court to invoke Section 25 of the FOI Act where it finds that the institutions were not authorised to deny access, had no reasonable grounds for doing so, or where the public interest in disclosure outweighs the reason for withholding the information.
The case has not yet been assigned to a judge.
Labour Party Disowns Arabambi Over Obi Credential Case
Meanwhile the Labour Party has distanced itself from its former National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, over lawsuits seeking access to the academic and service records of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress.
The party said Arabambi no longer belonged to the Labour Party after its National Executive Council suspended him and 24 other members in March 2026 over alleged anti-party activities.
According to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, the National Convention ratified the suspension on April 28, 2026, after which the affected members ceased to be members of the party.
Asogwa said the clarification became necessary following reports describing Arabambi as a Labour Party chieftain who had sued the West African Examinations Council, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps over Obi’s credentials.
He said the party would not comment on the substance of the case because Obi is not a member of the LP.
“While the Labour Party wishes to refrain from commenting on the substance or otherwise of the litigant’s case before the court, particularly as Mr Peter Obi is not a member of the Party, we wish to notify the general public that Abayomi Arabambi is not a member of the Labour Party,” Asogwa said.
He added that no organ of the party had reversed or reviewed the decision to suspend and expel the affected members.
The party warned that Arabambi had no authority to represent or speak on its behalf.
“If Arabambi has presented himself to the public as a chieftain or representative of the Labour Party, the general public is hereby notified that such representation is entirely unauthorised and, prima facie, amounts to impersonation,” he said.
Asogwa said the party’s lawyers were reviewing the matter and considering possible legal action, including a petition to law enforcement authorities.
Arabambi’s Suits Over Obi’s Records
The Labour Party’s statement came shortly after the National Democratic Congress criticised the lawsuits filed by Arabambi and challenged him to produce evidence questioning Obi’s academic credentials.
Arabambi filed three separate suits at the Federal High Court in Abuja against WAEC, UNN and the NYSC under the Freedom of Information Act.
He is asking the court to compel the institutions to release official records concerning certificates allegedly issued to Obi.
However, Arabambi said he was not asking the court to determine whether the certificates Obi submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 presidential election were genuine or forged.
He said he only wanted access to records from the institutions that would establish the status and particulars of the certificates.
Reacting to the suits, NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, told The PUNCH that Obi had a verifiable academic background.
Director also questioned the basis of Arabambi’s demand for the records, particularly as Arabambi had acknowledged that he was not challenging the genuineness of Obi’s certificates.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.