Is Peter Obi parading a fake university degree certificate? UNN breaks silence

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has confirmed that Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), was duly admitted to study Philosophy in 1980 and that the degree certificate he holds is genuine.

The university gave the confirmation in response to a Freedom of Information request by Premium Times, following allegations that Obi’s certificate was fake because his 1978 WAEC result showed passes in English Language and Mathematics. UNN said Obi met the applicable O’Level requirements and was admitted without any exemption, remedial programme or alternative admission pathway.

According to the university, Obi, whose full name is Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi, was admitted on September 3, 1980, with registration number 80/26333. It also authenticated his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Second Class Honours (Lower Division), awarded by the university Senate on December 15, 1984, with certificate number D000198.

UNN explained that Obi qualified for admission by combining his June 1978 WAEC result with another November/December 1978 GCE result. The university said the combined results satisfied the entrance requirements applicable at the time.

The confirmation contradicts claims by Abayomi Arabambi, a Labour Party factional official, who had alleged that Obi could not have gained admission to study Philosophy with the grades shown on his publicly circulated WAEC certificate.

However, Premium Times said it could not independently examine Obi’s November/December 1978 GCE result because the documents referenced as annexures in UNN’s response were not attached. The newspaper said the university’s registrar later acknowledged the omission and promised to resend the documents but had yet to do so.

The report therefore concluded that the claim that Obi’s UNN degree certificate is fake is false, while noting that details of his second 1978 examination result remain unverified.