By Peace Erewunmi

Labour Party chieftain Abayomi Arabambi has renewed questions over the importance of thoroughly scrutinising candidates’ credentials during political screening, particularly where discrepancies are alleged in educational or service records.

Arabambi, who was part of the panel that screened Peter Obi ahead of the Labour Party’s 2022 presidential primary, had alleged that Obi’s name appeared differently on his University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates.

He claimed that although Obi indicated in the required form that he attended UNN and completed his national service, the documents submitted during the final process raised questions about the names appearing on the records.

The allegation was publicly reported in October 2023. PUNCH subsequently reported that Obi’s WAEC certificate carried the name “Obi Gregory Onwubuasi,” his UNN certificate read “Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi,” while his NYSC certificate carried “Obi, Gregory Peter-Onwubuasi.”

However, the claims were disputed by another Labour Party spokesperson, who challenged Arabambi to provide evidence and maintained that Obi’s identity, education and public-service record were not in doubt.

The controversy highlights the importance of proper verification of candidates’ academic and professional credentials during political screening processes.