UNN sued over Peter Obi's academic records. A Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Abayomi Arabambi, has sued the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) over the alleged refusal to release details of the academic record of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). Arabambi, in a fresh suit, said he had requested a certified true copy (CTC) of Obi's certificate number D000198 in respect of a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy issued in 1984 in line with the Freedom of Information Act, but the institution turned down his demand.
In the originating motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026 and filed by his lawyer, Anderson Asemota, on Sept. 9 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, said letters had been written to the university. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the court documents made available on Saturday, the applicant, a former factional spokesperson for LP, named the VC and UNN as 1st and 2nd respondents.
He is, therefore, seeking an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to perform their statutory duty under the FoI Act, 2011, by determining and responding to his request dated July 16. According to Arabambi in the affidavit, by a letter dated 16th July, 2026, the applicant requested a CTC of Certificate No. D000198, stated to have been issued by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi in respect of a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy in 1984.
The applicant also requested a Certified True Copy of the certificate, academic record or other official records upon which the said degree was predicated. The said request was duly delivered to and received by the respondents on 6th August, 2026, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, stating the public-interest and accountability basis. The respondents failed and/or neglected to provide the requested information within the period prescribed by the Act.
Arabambi stated that the respondents did not communicate a written notice of refusal identifying the specific provision of the Act relied upon. The applicant consequently sent a reminder letter dated 31st August, 2026, delivered 1st September, 2026. As at the commencement of this action, the respondents have neither supplied the requested records nor issued a lawful written notice of refusal.
The applicant sought 19 reliefs: a declaration that his request constitutes a valid request under the FoI Act; an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to furnish him with a CTC of certificate number D000198 if it exists; an order compelling them to furnish CTC of existing official academic and institutional records relating to the said degree - relevant academic records, graduation/degree-award records, certificate-register entries, Senate or academic approval award records.
Arabambi submitted that he has a statutory right of access to information in the custody of a public institution, and that Section 4 of the Act imposes a statutory duty to respond within the prescribed period. NAN reports that at the centre of the complaint is what he described as multiple variations of Obi's name across documents submitted to INEC and educational authorities. The case is yet to be assigned to a judge. Source: guardian.ng
