A Nigerian Police Force document containing the conclusion of an investigation of alleged fraudulent misrepresentation, certificate forgery, examination malpractice and perjury against the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has indicted the embattled governor of the offences.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Tahir Usman, of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, signed the document dated February 19, 2024.
Usman, who is in charge of the Special Fraud Police Unit (PSFU) that investigated the allegations against the incumbent, concurred with the petition by Oladotun Hassan of Juryman Associate Chambers and recommended it to a legal adviser for action.
Hassan had on February 14, 2024, written to the police regarding a case of alleged fraudulent misrepresentation, certificate forgery, examination malpractices and perjury against Aiyedatiwa, asking the police to respond to a petition he filed in that regard on June 2, 2023.
The petitioner alleged thus:
“That sometime in the year 2020, Mr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in furtherance to his aspiration to be the Deputy Governor of Ondo state in the 2020 gubernatorial election, a certificate purporting to be issued by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in 1982 having sat for the May/June 1982 examinations at Ikosi High School, Ikosi Ketu, Lagos State.”
He said Mr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa contested the Ondo state Deputy Governorship position and won alongside his principal, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, in that year, based on the alleged forged certificate.
“Upon enquiries, it was discovered that the said Ikosi High School, Ikosi Ketu, was founded in the year 1980 by the Lateef Jakande administration in Lagos in furtherance of his free education policy of the state and the school could just be two years old as at 1982 as such could not be accredited by WAEC to conduct a May/June School Certificate Examination,” he said.
The petitioner further alleged that a critical look at the profile of Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa shows that he never attended Saint Peter’s UNA (now FAC) Primary School, Obe NIa/Obe Adun in Ilaje LGA of Ondo between 1970 and 1976, as he claimed.
According to him, “No old student who attended the school during the said period could confirm his studentship and his name did not appear in the school’s register.”
He concluded, “We were also wondering when Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa attended the Lagos State College of Education Ijanikin, where he obtained the Nigeria Certificate of Education, which he claimed to have obtained from the school in 1986; hence the petition.”
The police said its investigation into the petition revealed the following:
A case of alleged Fraudulent Misrepresentation, Certificate Forgery, Examination Malpractices and Perjury was reported to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, by Oladotun Hassan ‘m’ of Juryman Associate Chambers against one Mr. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State.
The petition was borne out of documents attached to Form EC9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Hon. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa in 2020 before his contesting for the office of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State.
Copies of the above-mentioned documents, as submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), were attached to the petition by the complainant.
That copy of the school admission register from 1979-1982 shows that the name of the suspect, Ayedatiwa Orimisan Lucky ‘M’ was not among the students offered admission/registered in the school within the period under review.
The suspect, Hon. Aiyedatiwa Orimisan Lucky, sat for the May/June 1982 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) General Certificate of Education (GCE) O/L at Ikosi Ketu, Lagos state with centre number 15592 and candidate number 019.
There is no any prove (sic) to show that the suspect, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa attended Ikosi High School, Ikosi Ketu, Lagos as a student.
Ikosi High School, Ikosi Ketu, Lagos, was established on 29th January 1980 and admitted its first set of students in January 1980.
The Ikosi High School, Ikosi Ketu, Lagos state, was accredited by the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) in 1985.
The name Ikosi High School, Ikosi Ketu, Lagos, was changed to Ikosi Senior High School in June 2003.
Police said they have concluded the investigation into the case. “The issues have been thoroughly investigated, based on which a logical conclusion was arrived at. It is, therefore, hereby (sic) opined that the matter be referred for legal advice,” the police added.
Meanwhile, some APC stalwarts in Ondo State, who craved anonymity, have expressed concern over the brewing messy certificate scandal. One of them who spoke to journalists was livid that the party wants to give the gubernatorial ticket to Aiyedatiwa despite the certificate embarrassment.
“Why is the party proposing to field a candidate who has qualification issues as grave as forgery and perjury?”, he asked.
He said Aiyedatiwa, who became substantive governor following the passing of his predecessor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is making moves to clinch the gubernatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He further accused the governor of spending Ondo State money on bribing the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, the state lawmakers and APC Aborigines, a group of state party elders led by a former ambassador to Togo, Sola Iji.
“Governor Aiyedatiwa has already spent north of $3.5 million to curry political favours and silence opponents before the April 25, 2024, APC primaries.
“The several lawmakers gravitating towards him, the endorsements from several party groups and elders and the Ondo APC Aborigines, led by a former ambassador to Togo, Sola Iji, got massive inducements in dollars to do so,” he added.
Another party chieftain questioned the integrity of public officeholders and opined that excellence should go with merit.
“What has happened to decency and integrity? When would the APC avoid controversy and stop flirting with questionable characters? Why would the party’s hierarchy want to jeopardize our chances of retaining Ondo State?” he questioned rhetorically.
He is disturbed that the development could cost the APC in the upcoming governorship election. He, however, called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure the party’s national leadership put sentiments aside in choosing the APC flag bearer for the April 25, 2024, APC primaries.
