Certificate forgery: PDP seeks probe of more people in govt

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for an investigation into the authenticity of academic credentials paraded by most political office holders in the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.

The party claims that the majority of the occupants may parade certificates with questionable origins, adding that the case of the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, became public because he was found out.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Honourable Debo Ologunagba, accused the government of promoting what he called the “reign of impunity” by encouraging “acts of lawlessness” and ignoring the pain of Nigerians.

“Many of them in that government have forged documents.

“We are going to follow that up. It is a high level of impunity, and it’s like telling us, catch us if you can,” he told reporters.

Nnaji had tendered his resignation on Tuesday following public pressure over the revelation that he didn’t graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), yet possessed a certificate purportedly issued by the institution.

Commenting on the rumoured plan by more PDP governors to defect to the APC soon, Ologunagba replied that the party was not about a few individuals but about serving the interests of Nigerians.

He blamed defections on factors such as fear, inducement and intimidation, claiming that the APC played a role in all of this.

“A party is not about individuals but all the people. We have more and more diverse people working for the PDP today.

“More and more people are returning to the PDP because it’s getting itself together.

“The defections you see today are instigated by inducement, harassment, coercion, intimidation, and it won’t last,” he said.

The party also reacted to reports that a new state congress was conducted in Edo State by another group of PDP stakeholders after the National Working Committee (NWC) concluded its own congress on September 27.

Ologunagba explained that the party conducted the Edo congress on September 27 using a properly constituted electoral panel in line with the provisions of the PDP’s constitution.

“Whatever congress they held was a gathering of some people to do whatever they like,” he said, adding that some stakeholders always tried to draw attention to themselves or “justify some other considerations as proof that they worked.”

Meanwhile, the party on Wednesday inaugurated the Security Sub-Committee for its upcoming November 15 Ibadan Elective National Convention.

The committee, which is chaired by Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, is charged with the responsibility of ensuring a hitch-free event by providing adequate security in and around the venue of the convention.

Kefas, who was represented at the occasion by the deputy chairman of the committee, Senator Austin Akobundu, promised collaboration with all security agencies to provide security for the convention.

“We understand the national convention as important, being the highest organ of the party.

“We are approaching this job with all the seriousness it deserves, and we seek the cooperation of everyone, including the press,” he stated.

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