By Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi, Reporting for Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Gboyega Aribisogan, the former Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly and currently the Ekiti State Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, faulted the O’Level result submitted by deputy governor of Biodun Oyebanji , saying that Ekiti State, regarded for its academic reputation, should not be led by people with questionable credentials and low education.
“In 2022, when she was announced as the APC deputy governorship candidate, some members of her own party openly discussed the doubts surrounding her qualification.
“At a point, a group of people went to the archives to verify whether she truly sat for the GCE. What later emerged was that she did not complete her education at the said school she claimed to have attended.
Her colleagues from the school reportedly said she did not finish there. Rather, she sat for the GCE outside the school, and that is where the problem of a doubtful certificate started.
“Many of our professionals and alumni spoke out against her nomination then, but because of the dictatorial tendencies within the APC party structure at the time, the issue was swept under the carpet and she was imposed as deputy governor.
“As we head into another governorship election, our people are talking again. At the appropriate time, people will do the needful, and this could lead to another round of litigation that may truncate the ambition of both the governor and the deputy governor,” he added.
Recall that oposition parties in Ekiti State have raised serious concerns over the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate submitted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate, Monisade Afuye, recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The certificate, contained in the official documents of governorship candidates and their running mates published by INEC, indicates that Afuye sat for the WAEC examination in June 1978 at Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti.
According to the document, only four subjects were listed, with credits recorded in Literature in English and Economics, and passes in History and Mathematics.
The disclosure has triggered sharp criticism from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who questioned Afuye’s suitability for public office in a state popularly described as Nigeria’s “Fountain of Knowledge.”
Reacting, South-West PDP Publicity Secretary, Sanya Atofarati, described the certificate as embarrassing and unworthy of Ekiti’s academic reputation.
“This is a major embarrassment to Ekiti people,” he said. “A state celebrated for intellectual excellence deserves better than being represented by someone with such a record.”
Atofarati argued that it would be inappropriate for a deputy governor with such credentials to represent the state at high-level meetings involving scholars, professionals and technocrats.
“Ekiti is a land of professors and intellectuals. Is it not degrading for such people to be represented by a mere school certificate holder?” he asked.
The Ekiti State Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Gboyega Aribisogan, also faulted the certificate, citing lingering doubts over its authenticity and recalling that similar questions surfaced during Afuye’s emergence as deputy governorship candidate in 2022.
He alleged that even within the APC, concerns were raised at the time about whether Afuye completed her education at Amoye Grammar School, claiming that she reportedly sat for the examination externally.
According to him, attempts were allegedly made to verify records, with unresolved discrepancies fueling suspicion around the certificate.
“As another election approaches, these issues have resurfaced,” Aribisogan warned. “This could trigger another round of litigation capable of derailing the ambitions of both the governor and the deputy governor.”
Responding to the allegations, Ekiti APC Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, dismissed the criticisms as baseless, politically motivated and aimed at distracting voters ahead of the June 20 governorship election.
Dipe accused opposition parties of sensationalising the issue to undermine the APC, insisting that Afuye fully met all constitutional requirements to contest as deputy governor.
He described the controversy as unnecessary, stressing that the deputy governor has served the state diligently since assuming office and that her credentials were thoroughly screened and cleared by the party’s national leadership.
Dipe urged opposition parties to focus on presenting their programmes to Ekiti voters rather than recycling allegations and engaging in what he called smear campaigns.
Under Section 177 of the Nigerian Constitution, a deputy governorship candidate must meet the same requirements as a governorship candidate, including possession of at least a school certificate or its equivalent. Proposed constitutional amendments seeking to raise the qualification threshold to a university degree are yet to be passed into law.