Politics

Certificate Forgery Allegation: Ayedatiwa Threatens To Drag Lawyer To Court

Published

1 month ago

April 8, 2024

Editor

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has threatened to sue a lawyer, Hassan Oladotun, for allegedly circulating a report maliciously designed to disqualify him from participating in the state governorship primary election.

Oladotun had, on June 2, 2023, petitioned the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the academic credentials of the governor.

After the conclusion of the investigation, the lawyer filed a Freedom of Information request through which he received a copy of the investigation report.

A copy of the report obtained by our correspondent addressed to Oladotun and signed by DCP Tahir Usman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, stated that the police investigation into Aiyedatiwa’s O’level certificate did not find evidence that the Ondo governor attended Ikosi High School, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos.

However, the police in a statement on Friday by the Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, denied the authenticity of the report.

In response to the police denial, Oladotun petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Police Service Commission, insisting that the report was authentic, adding that he received a copy of the report through a Freedom of Information request that he filed.

In the petition dated April 5, which was obtained by our correspondent, Oladotun called for the intervention of the IG and the PSC to prevent the report of the investigation from being altered.

In a new turn of events, the governor, through his lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), said Aiyedatiwa sat for the West African School Certificate Examination and his results were genuine.

In a letter addressed to Oladotun on April 8, a copy which was obtained by The PUNCH on Monday, Adegboruwa said steps were taken to confirm the allegations against the governor which had been proved to be untrue.

“Upon your chorused repetition of this falsehood against our client, we took steps to conduct a verification exercise and indeed confirmed the authenticity of his West African School Certificate Examination results. We challenge you to proceed to do the same with the following particulars:

Name of the Candidate: Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa; Centre Number: 15592; Examination Number: 019; Centre: Ikosi High School, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos State. Date of Examination: May/June, GCE O/L, 1982.

“The search will bring out the following results in favour of our client: English Language: 8; Bible Knowledge: 6; Economics: 4; Health Science: 8; Commerce: 3; Accounts: 7; Business Management: 8”, the letter partly read.

He, however, demanded a public apology published in three newspapers and withdrawal of the publications made regarding the governor’s certificate.

Adegboruwa said, “In the light of all the foregoing, we have the instructions of our client to demand from you as follows: a public apology, to be published in at least three newspapers with wide circulation all over Nigeria.

“An unconditional withdrawal of all false and malicious publications made of and concerning the West African School Certificate Examination result. of our client.

“An unconditional withdrawal of your letters to the Nigeria Police Force in respect of the West African School Certificate Examination results of our client.

“An unconditional withdrawal of your letters to the All Progressives Congress in respect of the West African School Certificate Examination results of our cient.

“A conditional withdrawal of your letters to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in respect of the West African School Certificate Examination results of our client.”

Adegboruwa also demanded compensation for the false publications made against the governor.

He said, “Adequate compensation for the false and libellous publications made of and concerning our client based on his status, position in life, and political career. To cease from authoring, publishing, or in any other manner circulating further false and libellous publications of and concerning our client.”

Adegboruwa, however, noted that should Oladotun fail to meet their demands seven days after receiving the letter, the governor would institute legal action against him.

He said, “Take notice that if you fail, refuse, and/or neglect to comply with the above-stated demands within seven clear days of your receipt of this letter, we shall proceed to execute our client’s further instructions to explore all lawful means to seek redress against you without further notice to you.”
PUNCH

Related Topics:Aiyedatiwa Lucky Aiyedatiwa Ondo

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Politics

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.

Politics

Defection: Edo Govt, Ex-PDP BoT Member, Idahosa In Verbal War

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Edo State government and a former member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Charles Idahosa, on Monday traded words over the latter defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that Idahosa resigned
formally resigned who had last month resigned from PDP, rejoined the APC on Monday in Benin City.

Speaking during his formal presentation to the APC in Benin City, he noted that he left the party four years ago due to internal crisis.

Idahosa added that he dumped the PDP because of what he described as the “damning deeds of the Obaseki-led administration in the last four years”.

He took a swipe at Obaseki for saying that PDP would win the forthcoming September governorship election with 80 per cent of votes.

“I thank God, four years later we all are wiser now. Like the Secretary said, I was a founding member of ACD, ACN and APC. The damage we did four years ago, the APC never remained the same.

“But I am glad we are back to the family. I was nominated to the Board of the Railway when I was in the APC. When I moved to the PDP, I wrote to resign my membership but it was rejected and showed my wide acceptance.

“At 71, I am not here to contest position with anybody, I am here to work. I want to urge APC to keep their eyes on the ball. It is not over until it is over.”

While lambasting Governor Obaseki for his comment that those leaving PDP have been given money, he noted that his greatest regret was not allowing the governor to resign after his first four years in office.

“When he came to beg me like a weather beaten chicken, how much did he give to me? Anytime he goes religious gathering he would say those leaving PDP have been given money.

“He came to me three times in my house to say he wants to resign, that he was tired of being governor but I appealed to him, telling him it was not about him but Benin interest.”

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare alleged that Idahosa was never a PDP member.

Nehikhare noted that Idahosa was also never a BOT member of the party, because the party in the state rejected his nomination.

He alleged that it was as a result of the rejection that he found his way back to APC.

“I heard that he claimed to be a member of BOT of PDP but I want to challenge him to tell us when he was sworn in as a member of PDP BOT. He was not a fit and proper person. Even though he was nominated he was shunned by the party.

“It was this that drove him back to APC which he never left in the first place. He was holding on to the board appointment which was offered him while in APC prior to 2020 governorship election.

“He has reached the end of his political career. He has nothing to offer any political party or any group he joins because he believes in bread and butter politics,” Nehikhare said.