A chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Abayomi Arabambi, has filed a lawsuit against the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), seeking an order compelling the institution to disclose the academic records of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
Arabambi is asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel UNN to provide certified true copies of Obi’s certificate and other academic records relating to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy allegedly awarded to him in 1984.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026, was filed on 9 September 2026 by Arabambi’s lawyer, Anderson Asemota.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Vice-Chancellor of UNN and the university were named as the first and second respondents respectively.
In the originating motion, Arabambi said he had requested a certified true copy of Certificate No. D000198, stated to have been issued by UNN to Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi in respect of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1984.
He also requested copies of the academic records and other official documents upon which the alleged degree and certificate were based.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the application, Arabambi said the request was made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and was received by the respondents on 6 August 2026.
He alleged that the university failed to provide the requested information within the period prescribed by law and did not issue a written notice of refusal stating the specific provision of the Act relied upon to deny access.
Arabambi said he subsequently sent a reminder dated 31 August 2026, which was received by the respondents on 1 September.
He told the court that, as of the commencement of the action, the respondents had neither supplied the requested records nor issued a lawful written notice of refusal.
He is therefore seeking a declaration that his request constituted a valid application for information under the Freedom of Information Act.
Arabambi is also asking the court for an order of mandamus compelling UNN to provide a certified true copy of Certificate No. D000198, if the certificate exists in the custody, possession or control of the university.
He further wants the institution compelled to release certified copies of existing official academic and institutional records relating to the degree and certificate.
The requested documents include relevant academic records, graduation and degree-award records, certificate-register entries, Senate or academic approval records, and other official documents upon which the degree and certificate were based.
In his grounds for the application, Arabambi argued that he had a statutory right of access to information held by a public institution and that UNN was subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
He maintained that the requested information concerned a certificate represented as having been issued by the university, making its official records directly relevant to his request.
Arabambi further argued that Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act imposed a duty on the respondents to respond within the prescribed period.
He contended that the failure to provide the information or issue a lawful refusal amounted to a refusal or deemed refusal under the Act.
NAN reports that the application also raises questions over what Arabambi described as variations in Obi’s name across documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and educational authorities.
The case has yet to be assigned to a judge.
