TheCable

Yunusa Tanko, spokesperson of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council, has debunked the allegation that Peter Obi, its flagbearer in the 2023 elections, is impersonating his late elder brother.

Last Wednesday, Oseloka Obaze, a chieftain of the LP, posted some of the academic certificates of the former Anambra governor.

Obaze posted Obi’s West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), University of Nigeria (UNN) and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates, claiming that the LP candidate had all his credentials verified.

ALLEGED DISCREPANCIES IN CERTIFICATES

However, the copy of the WAEC certificate posted by the LP chieftain bears “Obi Gregory Onwubuasi” while the UNN certificate carries “Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi”, and the NYSC certificate shows “Obi, Gregory Peter Onwubuasi”.

The omission of “Peter” from the WAEC certificate obtained in June 1979 stirred conversation on X.

In addition, Abayomi Arabambi, spokesperson of the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the LP, had alleged that Obi had different names on his certificates issued by UNN and NYSC.

While speaking in an interview with AIT, Arabambi claimed that the LP observed the discrepancies in Obi’s certificates during the screening of presidential hopefuls.

He alleged that Obi was using his late elder brother’s university certificate.

The development came amid the controversy trailing the academic records of President Bola Tinubu.

Obi had addressed a world press conference where he asked Tinubu to “reintroduce” himself to Nigerians.

He had said the controversy over Tinubu’s academic records has made foreigners start profiling Nigerians as “fraudsters, certificate forgers or identity thieves”.

Reacting to the allegation in a statement on Monday, Tanko described it as false, saying Obi and his late brother studied different courses at the UNN and that the latter was years ahead of the LP candidate in the university.

“Obi in his capacity as Labour Party standard bearer had innocuously advised the embattled President to rest the certificate-gate around him and save the country further embarrassment by reintroducing himself and putting the records straight,” the statement reads.

“A simple patriotic advisory that was informed by a belief in anything that is connected to national development, but their hirelings, freebooters and lawless adventurers prefer to insult our candidate with fabrications.

“In one of his pieces of fiction, they claimed that Obi was impersonating his dead senior brother; a farce, slapstick comedy from hell. Obi’s most senior brother is alive.

“One of his senior brothers who died was in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN years ahead of Obi and read Computer Science while Obi read Philosophy.

“At the forefront of these malicious hatchet jobbers, is Dr Abayomi Arambabi, who dubiously continues even to identify himself as a member and Publicity Secretary of Labour Party.”

Tanko accused Arabambi and Apapa of consistently defaming Obi despite claiming to be LP supporters.

“Chief Lamidi Apapa and Arabambi have been going about merchandising with the name of the party and endlessly castigating our flag bearer who we are proud to say is the most popular and loved Nigerian politician today,” Tanko said.

“As they go about using the name of the party, none has said anything positive about Peter Obi as the presidential candidate of the party they claim. That speaks volumes.

“Instead, they have even been more vociferous against Peter Obi than their sponsors, yet they claim they are of the Labour Party.

“Is it not time the media houses blacklist them for wearing the devil’s coat and speaking on the saint’s platform. After all, none of them or their family members voted for Peter Obi.”