A civil society organisation, Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development, has called for urgent police intervention over alleged certificate forgery and falsification of examination records involving a senior public office holder.
The group wants the Inspector-General of Police to launch a full-scale investigation into claims surrounding a National Examination Council Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (NECO SSCE) Internal result allegedly presented as part of electoral documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, its Executive Director, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, said the matter raises serious questions that must not be ignored by security agencies.
He alleged that the examination result in question relates to the June 2018 NECO SSCE Internal exercise, which he described as strictly reserved for final-year secondary school students registered through approved schools under NECO guidelines.
According to him, the registration process for the examination requires strict compliance, including valid National Identification Number, correct biodata matching official records, biometric capture in schools, and prohibition of impersonation or third-party registration.
The group argued that it was therefore “curious” how an individual outside the student category could have participated in the examination process, while also holding public office and preparing for electoral contests at the time.
It further alleged that the said result was submitted to INEC as part of personal particulars during political contests, and should be subjected to forensic verification by relevant authorities.
The organisation also referenced earlier documents linked to previous elections, including a vocational training certificate issued in 1985, and a Federal Ministry of Education correspondence dated December 2018, which reportedly stated that the certificate could not be equated to WAEC or NECO school certificate standards.
Shinkafi said the combination of these issues raises constitutional questions regarding eligibility for elective positions, stressing that Section 65(2) and Section 177(d) of the 1999 Constitution require at least a school certificate or its equivalent for legislative and gubernatorial offices.
The group urged the police to conduct a discreet but thorough investigation into all documents submitted over the years, including INEC nomination forms and academic claims, to establish their authenticity.
It also called for verification of claims relating to attendance at a higher institution in Lagos, insisting that all allegations must be properly interrogated in the interest of transparency and public trust.
The organisation said it has already made available supporting documents, including certified copies of INEC forms and correspondence from relevant government agencies, to assist investigators.
It maintained that no individual should be above scrutiny, adding that any person found culpable should face prosecution to serve as deterrent to others.
As of press time, there was no official reaction from the office of the public official named in the petition, while security authorities were yet to confirm whether an investigation has commenced.
