A chieftain of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, has instituted legal proceedings against the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), over the alleged refusal by the institution to release details of the academic records of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
In the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Arabambi said he had requested a Certified True Copy (CTC) of Obi’s certificate, identified as number D000198, relating to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy reportedly issued by the university in 1984.
According to the court documents, Arabambi made the request under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, but alleged that the university failed to provide the information.
The originating motion, filed by his lawyer, Anderson Asemota, on September 9, stated that several letters had been sent to the university regarding the request.
In the suit, Arabambi, a former factional spokesperson of the Labour Party, listed the Vice-Chancellor of UNN and the university itself as the first and second respondents respectively.
He is seeking an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to carry out what he described as their statutory duty under the Freedom of Information Act by considering and responding to his request dated July 16 in accordance with the law.
“The applicant also requested a Certified True Copy of the certificate, academic record or other official records upon which the said degree was predicated.
“The said request was duly delivered to and received by the respondents on 6th August, 2026.
“The applicant expressly made the request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, and stated the public-interest and accountability basis for the request.
“The respondents failed and/or neglected to provide the requested information within the period prescribed by the Act,” he said.
Arabambi further alleged that the university did not issue him a written notice of refusal explaining the specific provision of the Freedom of Information Act upon which any refusal to release the records was based.
The legal action now puts the university’s handling of the request before the Federal High Court, with Arabambi asking the court to compel UNN to respond to his application in line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
