Opposition political parties have expressed deep concerns about the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Monisade Afuye, released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently.
The certificate, part of the particulars of the governorship candidates and their deputies released by the INEC, indicated that Mrs Afuye sat for the WAEC examination in June 1978 at Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti.
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According to the INEC document, four WAEC subjects were recorded, with the deputy governor scoring credits in Literature in English and Economics, and passes in History and Mathematics.
The deputy governor’s certificate has attracted criticism from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), which questioned Mrs Afuye’s suitability for public office, especially in a state that prides itself as the fountain of Knowledge.
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The South-west PDP Publicity Secretary, Sanya Atofarati, in a statement on Sunday, expressed utter concern about the academic credentials of the deputy governor.
Mr Atofarati described the development as “embarrassing” and a “slap” on Ekiti State, widely renowned as the fountain of knowledge and centre of intellectual excellence.
“This is a source of embarrassment for all Ekiti people. A state widely celebrated for academic excellence and intellectual prowess deserves better. It is disheartening that the APC is presenting a candidate with such a record for the sensitive office of deputy governor.
“Imagine someone who today submits a low-level and unconvincing school certificate being expected tomorrow to represent a governor at meetings of professors and technocrats. What exactly does such a person have to offer?
“Ekiti is known nationwide as a state of scholars, a state with one of the highest concentrations of professors. It is often said, jokingly but truthfully, that almost every household has a professor. Is it not dehumanising for such people to be represented by a mere school certificate holder?” he queried.
The Ekiti State Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Gboyega Aribisogan, also faulted the O-Level result submitted by Mrs Afuye to INEC, citing what he described as unresolved doubts about its authenticity.
He said that Ekiti State, which is regarded for its academic reputation, should not be led by people with questionable credentials and low education, recalling that similar concerns were raised in 2022 when she emerged as the APC deputy governorship candidate.
He said, “This is not the first time these questions are coming up. As far back as 2022, when she was announced as a deputy governor’s candidate of the APC, even members of her own party openly discussed the doubts surrounding her qualification.
“At a point, a group of people went to the archives to verify whether she truly sat for the GCE. What later emerged was that she did not complete her education at Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti, which she claimed to have attended.
“Her colleagues from school reportedly said she did not finish there. Rather, she sat for the GCE outside the school, and that is where the problem of a doubtful certificate started.
“Many of our professionals and alumni spoke out against her nomination then, but because of the dictatorial tendencies within the APC party structure at the time, the issue was swept under the carpet, and she was imposed as deputy governor.
“As we head into another governorship election, our people are talking again. At the appropriate time, people will do the needful and this could lead to another round of litigation that may truncate the ambition of both the governor and the deputy governor”, he added.
APC responds
However, Ekiti APC Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe dismissed the criticisms as baseless, politically motivated
d and a desperate attempt by opposition parties to gain relevance ahead of the 20 June governorship election.
Mr Dipe accused the opposition parties of “sensationalising” Mrs Afuye’s WAEC results to undermine public confidence in the APC, insisting that the deputy governor met all constitutional requirements to contest as deputy governor.
He described the controversy as an unnecessary distraction, noting that the deputy governor has served the state diligently and excellently since assuming office.
He added that Mrs Afuye’s credentials had been duly screened and cleared by the APC national leadership, insisting that the PDP and APC should focus on selling their programmes to the Ekiti people rather than resorting to smear campaigns and recycled allegations.
What the Constitution says
According to section 177 of the Constitution, a deputy governorship candidate must meet the same qualifications as a governorship candidate.
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To be eligible for a deputy governorship position, a person must: Be a Nigerian citizen by birth, be at least 35 years old, be a member of a political party and sponsored by that party and have at least a school certificate or its equivalent.
There’s a proposed bill before the National Assembly that seeks to reduce the age to 30 years and increase qualifications to a bachelor’s degree
