A chieftain and former factional national publicity secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Abayomi Arabambi, has dragged the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the institution’s alleged refusal to release the academic records of Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026, was filed on September 9, 2026, by Arabambi’s legal counsel, Anderson Asemota of Messrs Neplus Ultra Attorneys. Joined as 1st and 2nd respondents in the application are the Vice-Chancellor of UNN and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, respectively.
According to court documents made public on Saturday, September 12, 2026, Arabambi is seeking an order of mandamus to compel the university to comply with its statutory duties under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, 2011.
Arabambi submitted a formal FoI request on July 16, 2026, seeking Certified True Copies (CTCs) of Certificate No. D000198 (a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy purportedly issued to Obi in 1984), graduation/degree-award records, Senate approvals, and certificate-register entries.
The application was officially delivered to and received by the office of the Vice-Chancellor on August 6, 2026, at the UNN main campus in Nsukka, Enugu State.
Following the expiration of the statutory 7-day period mandated by Section 4 of the FoI Act without a response, Arabambi sent a reminder letter on August 31, 2026, which was delivered to UNN on September 1, 2026.
Deposed in an affidavit by litigation secretary Chuku Maudlyn, the applicant asks the court for 19 specific reliefs, citing alleged variations in Peter Obi’s name across submissions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and educational authorities as the public-interest basis for his request.
Arabambi contends that UNN failed to supply the requested records or issue a written notice specifying statutory exemptions for denial. As of press time, the suit has not yet been assigned to a trial judge.
