Ekiti News reports that the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has affirmed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee for the forthcoming governorship election in the state that his credentials are authentic.
The governor stated this on Friday, amid the recent allegation of academic certificate forgery leveled against him by his opponents.
Governor Aiyedatiwa became the first aspirant to receive clearance from the APC screening committee ahead of the party’s gubernatorial primary scheduled for April 20th.
The governor has recently been embroiled in a dispute with several other aspirants within the party’s ranks in the state, including Mr. Wale Akinterinwa, Mr. Mayowa Akinfolarin, Prof. Francis Faduyile, Mr. Isaacs Kekemeke, Chief Olusola Oke (SAN), Mr. Gbenga Edema, and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.
The conflict has primarily revolved around his academic credentials, prompted by a petition submitted by legal practitioner Oladotun Hassan to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Police Service Commission.
The petition alleged that a senior officer was plotting to interfere with the ongoing investigation into the governor’s educational certificates.
Speaking to journalists at the APC national secretariat following his screening on Friday, Aiyedatiwa emphasized the importance of the screening process for aspirants.
He stated, “Screening is one of the processes aspirants have to go through. Mine has just been done this morning and all documents that were submitted have to be verified and questions asked where some are not too clear to the screening committee. Questions were asked and answered.
“At the end of the day, I have been cleared, especially on the issue that has to do with my certificate that a petition was written. Today, that has been put to rest. My certificates are genuine and authentic.
“I think it is a kind of mischief by some aspirants who see me as the man to beat and had to look for a way to discredit my person. Today, it has been verified and put to rest.”
Governor Aiyedatiwa added, “As a student of history, you will recall that in 1989 when Lateef Jakande became governor of Lagos State private schools were taken over. Schools were built for the communities. And Ikosi High School that I attended is one of those schools built by the government of Lateef Jakande.
“So, it is on record that the school was established in 1980 and at that time, I was already in Form three in a private school, New Nation, in Ikosi while Royal Comprehensive High School is in Ajegunle Ikorudu, very close to Ketu.”