Again, UI Confirms Governor Obaseki’s Certificate
The University of Ibadan (UI), has again confirmed that it issued Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State a degree certificate.
Abayomi Samuel Ajayi, the Deputy Chief Registrar (Legal), who appeared at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, testified in the suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a chieftain, Williams Edobor, against Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Deputy Chief Registrar was led in evidence by Obaseki’s counsel, Ken Mozia (SAN).
Ajayi tendered important pages of the UI calendar for 1976, admission brochure for degrees, award of diplomas and certificates, Obaseki’s application for admission, and another for collection of his certificate. They were accepted as exhibits by the court.
According to the Ajayi, official records revealed that Obaseki was admitted in 1976 through Direct Entry and that he graduated in the year 1979 during the tenure of Professor Tekena Tamuno as Vice-Chancellor and Mr S. J. Okudu as Registrar.
The witness said the fact that some part of the certificate photocopies were cut off by the photocopying machine due to size did not invalidate its originality and authenticity.
According to him, “I will not regard the photocopy of the original certificate as forged but incomplete photocopy because the certificate of the University of Ibadan is larger than the paper upon which the photocopy was made.”
It would be recalled that in June 2020, the UI confirmed that Obaseki was a student of the institution. The Registrar, Olubunmi Faluyi, who said Obaseki studied Classics, added that his certificate is genuine.
