Forgery allegations threaten APC guber candidature in Ogun

Sundry allegations of forgery may make the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to have a gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 election.

Online reports suggest that candidate Dapo Abiodun has a case to answer over discrepancies in his academic qualifications.

Efforts to get Abiodun’s reactions proved abortive, as he neither picked his calls nor replied to text messages but the party yesterday reaffirmed its support for Abiodun.

Reacting to an allegation of certificate forgery and perjury levelled against Abiodun, the Deputy Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Yekini Nabena, argued that the party handed its governorship ticket to the candidate based on his school certificate qualification.

“The minimal requirement for the position of governor is a secondary school certificate and that was what he declared in his form. The party acted based on the provision of the law. Anybody that has issues with his certificates can approach the courts to seek redress,” Nabena said.

According to one of the reports, the candidate “declared only his West African School Certificate (1978) in the Form CF001 that he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on October 23, 2018, ahead of the 2019 general election.

“However, when he ran as the APC senatorial candidate (Ogun East) in 2015, he claimed to have attended the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (graduating in 1986) and Kennesaw State University, Atlanta Georgia, U.S. (1989) in his INEC form CF001, backed by an affidavit he swore to at the high court, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

“Curiously, while he listed B.B.A. (Hons) Accounting as the degree he got in 1986, as at then, he was silent on what he studied at Kennesaw State University. However, in his official curriculum vitae, he claimed to possess another degree, B.Eng (Hons) in civil engineering, presumably received in 1989 from the American university.

“Also, on the website of Heyden Petroleum Limited where Abiodun is MD/CEO, underneath his name were listed B.Sc Civil Engineering and B.B.A Accounting. If he proceeded immediately to Kennesaw after graduating from Ife in 1986, he would not have finished before 1990, as civil engineering is a four-year course at the university.”

The report notes: “There are strong suspicions that he did not do the compulsory national youth service, even though he finished his first degree in 1986 — going by the INEC form CF001 he filled ahead of the 2015 election, supported by an affidavit.

Abiodun was born on May 29, 1960 and was 26 in 1986 when he claimed to have finished his first degree. The age limit for national service is 30.

“Apart from the possibility of having committed perjury either in 2014 or 2018, there is also the possibility that he skipped the compulsory national service, which is punishable under the law.”

Also, a lawyer, Abdulrrafiu Baruwa, reportedly filed a suit at a high court in Abuja seeking the candidate’s disqualification over alleged false information submitted to INEC.

Abiodun’s emergence as candidate of the APC had pitted him against Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

While the National Working Committee (NWC) insisted Abiodun would fly the party’s flag, Amosun declared support for his anointed, Adekunle Akinlade, accusing the NWC of underhand dealings.

The intrigues climaxed recently with the defection of Akinlade and some party members to the Allied People’s Movement (APM).

Amosun, who said he tried his best to stop the defection, had vowed he would use everything in his capacity to ensure the success of Akinlade and the others in their new party.

He said: “When these people came, they told me they are leaving the APC. I said, ‘No’. But I couldn’t stop them. In fact, Akinlade has my full support. I am not going to stop him. Everything I have, I will use to support him. Let them try whatever they want to try. We also have our strategies and I am not going to hide behind one finger.

“I remain in APC because that’s what those people want. They want us to leave APC but they are joking. I will stay in APC to ensure that Buhari wins in Ogun State and let them know that they can’t subvert the will of the state.

“Every day, I will campaign for President Muhammadu Buhari. We will do everything possible to ensure Buhari wins massively in Ogun. But they should not miss it. I, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, will not support anyone they are bringing.”