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Certificate Forgery: Petitioner Withdraws Case against Kwara Gov-Elect

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6 years ago

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A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, Adekunle Abraham, challenging the veracity of the secondary school certificate of Kwara State Governor-elect, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq  has withdrawn the case.

Abraham, in the suit in the state high court is seeking to disqualify AbdulRazaq as governor-elect.

In a notice of discontinuance, Abraham said: “I hereby wholly discontinues the case against the defendant.”

The application is dated May 21, 2019 and filed on May 22, 2019.

The petitioner did not state any reason for the sudden decision to terminate the case.

However, it was gathered that his decision was predicated on the filing of the official confirmation of AbdulRazaq’s WAEC certificate in the respondent’s proof of evidence.

The confirmation was sent by the examination body through the legal team that had earlier applied for same.

“Not only this, the governor-elect’s legal team has also filed a number of depositions that proved Abraham’s claim that WAEC doesn’t issue a certificate with initials to be false,” a source said.

“The depositions contain a number of certificates with initials and within the years the governor-elect left secondary school,” the source added.

In view of Abraham’s application, the court is likely to strike out the case at the next adjournment date in June.

The governorship petition tribunal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, has fixed June 13 and 14 for the beginning of the trial in the PDP’s petition challenging the  declaration of AbdulRazaq as governor.

The PDP claimed the governor-elect does not have the secondary school leaving certificate, which is the legal prerequisite for anyone running for the office of governor – a claim AbdulRazaq insisted is false.

Chairman of the three-person panel Justice Bassey Effing announced the date after listening to counsel to the parties in the case at the continuation of the pre-hearing session yesterday.

He said the trial will hold at 10a.m. on every hearing date.

Effing said the petitioners will have four days (June 13,14 and July 9 and 10) to call their witnesses who would then be cross-examined by the respondents.

The first respondent, the INEC, will have two days (July 11 and 12) to present its defence. AbdulRazaq, who is the second respondent, will present his defence between July 16, 17 and 18; while the third respondent, which is the APC, will present its defence between July 23, 24 and 25.

Effing also said the report of the pre-hearing conference will be available after Monday May 27.

The Nation

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Tinubu Confers CON Honours on Yakubu for Job Well Done

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8 hours ago

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October 8, 2025

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President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, accepted Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s departure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the expiration of his second term in office.

Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years.

The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.

President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.

In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the Commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.

In the letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.

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Alleged Certificate Forgery: Science and Technology Minister Resigns, Tinubu Accepts

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20 hours ago

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October 7, 2025

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The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has resigned his position following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the resignation in a statement on Tuesday, saying the President has accepted the Minister’s decision to step down.

According to Onanuga, President Tinubu “accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him.”

He added that “President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023. He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria.”

Onanuga further quoted the former Minister as saying he had “been a target of blackmail by political opponents.”

“President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours,” the statement added.

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ASUU Begins Mobilisation of Members for Nationwide Strike

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24 hours ago

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October 7, 2025

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has begun mobilising its members nationwide for a possible warning strike, following the Federal government’s alleged failure to address long-standing issues affecting the university system.

The mobilisation comes one week to the expiration of the union’s 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28, to the government.

In a circular dated October 5, 2025, and signed by ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the union expressed disappointment over what it described as the government’s “continued silence and lack of commitment” toward resolving the lingering crises in the education sector.

According to the circular, the National Executive Council (NEC), during an emergency meeting held on September 29, 2025, reviewed the outcome of a referendum conducted across its branches and resolved to issue the ultimatum to compel the government to sign and implement the renegotiated agreement submitted in February 2025.

Prof. Piwuna lamented that despite communicating ASUU’s resolutions to the Ministers of Labour and Employment and Education, as well as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), there hasn’t been any meaningful response from the government.

“I regret to inform you that there is no meaningful development deserving of any consideration to be reported,” he stated.

He explained that the current mobilisation is aimed at compelling the government to fulfil its promises, particularly regarding the signing and implementation of the renegotiated agreement and other outstanding issues.

As the ultimatum enters its final week, the ASUU president commended members for their patience and resilience throughout what he described as a “tortuous and unjustifiably prolonged” negotiation process spanning over eight years.

He called on all branches to intensify mobilisation efforts on their campuses to ensure unity and preparedness for any industrial action, stressing that collective strength remained the union’s most potent weapon.

“The days ahead call for mobilisation of every member of our union to ensure unity of purpose.

“No one should be left out of the struggle to defend our welfare, stem the Japa syndrome, and reposition the Nigerian university system for global competitiveness,” the statement partly read.

ASUU further advised its members to take directives only from their branch chairpersons and zonal coordinators, and to attend congress meetings regularly for updates on the next steps.

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