TheCable

Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, a professor and vice-chancellor of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Akwa Ibom state, has held a clear-the-air meeting with officials of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja over the Umo Eno certificate saga, TheCable understands.

Eno, the Akwa Ibom governor-elect, was allegedly expelled from UNIUYO over a West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate forgery, according to the election petition filed by Albert Bassey, candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

Bassey claimed that Eno was one of the students expelled from the university in 2005 for obtaining admission with a fake WAEC/Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) certificate.

In the petition marked AKW/GOV/01/2023, Bassey, through his lawyers, asked the tribunal to nullify the declaration and return of Eno as the winner of the governorship election in the state.

Bassey alleged that Eno was not at the time of the election qualified to contest because he presented a forged WAEC June 1981 certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during his nomination by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Both Eno and the university have denied the allegation.

However, the denial by UNIUYO led to a flurry of petitions to the NUC, which regulates university education in the country.

Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, a professor and executive secretary of the commission, demanded an explanation from Ndaeyo because of the petitions and negative media reports, sources in the know informed TheCable.

Ndaeyo offered to go to Abuja for a face-to-face with the ES, although TheCable understands he is currently out of the country.

However, Ndaeyo met with senior officials of the NUC on Wednesday where the issue was discussed at length, although TheCable could not confirm the resolution of the meeting.

A senior NUC official, who did not volunteer much information, said the commission was worried about the mixing of education with politics and would not want anything that would tarnish the image of the university.