The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has firmly rubbished claims questioning the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate of its deputy governorship candidate, Mrs Monisade Afuye, describing the uproar as a politically driven distraction ahead of the June 20 governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) sparked the latest controversy last week when it released the personal particulars of all candidates and their running mates. Mrs Afuye’s form revealed she sat for her WAEC exams in June 1978 at Amoye Grammar School in Ikere-Ekiti, securing credits in Literature-in-English and Economics alongside passes in History and Mathematics. Opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Action Democratic Congress (ADC), seized on the results, branding them inadequate for a state synonymous with scholarly distinction.
APC Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, dismissed the allegations in a statement, calling them “baseless and politically motivated.” He accused the PDP and ADC of desperation to stay relevant, insisting Mrs Afuye’s credentials had passed rigorous screening by the party and relevant authorities. “The deputy governor has served Ekiti diligently since assuming office,” Dipe stated, adding that the APC would not be derailed by “smear campaigns and recycled allegations.” He urged opponents to present their own platforms to voters instead.
This is not the first time Mrs Afuye’s educational background has drawn fire. Ekiti, often hailed as Nigeria’s “Fountain of Knowledge” for producing eminent scholars like former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, has a storied history of prioritising academic pedigree in leadership. The state’s reputation traces back to the 19th century, when missionary education took root in places like Ikere-Ekiti, home to Amoye Grammar School—founded in 1954 as one of the earliest secondary institutions in the old Ondo Province. By independence, Ekiti’s emphasis on learning had birthed a disproportionate number of professors, engineers, and administrators, earning it the moniker “state of scholars.”
Such prestige has long shaped electoral battles. In 2022, when Mrs Afuye emerged as running mate to Governor Biodun Oyebanji, similar doubts surfaced within APC circles and beyond. ADC Publicity Secretary, Gboyega Aribisogan, recalled those days vividly. “This is not the first time these questions are coming up,” he said. “As far back as 2022, when she was announced as a deputy governorship candidate of the APC, even members of her party openly discussed the doubts surrounding her qualification.” Aribisogan claimed alumni and professionals had checked archives, only to find Mrs Afuye did not complete her studies at Amoye Grammar School as stated. “Her colleagues from school reportedly said she did not finish there. Rather, she sat for GCE outside the school, and that is where the problem of a doubtful certificate started,” he added. He alleged the issue was “swept under the carpet” due to the APC’s “dictatorial tendencies,” warning of potential litigation that could derail the ticket.
The 2022 polls, held amid Nigeria’s broader credential controversies—echoing national debates over figures like former President Muhammadu Buhari’s own WAEC results—saw Mrs Afuye imposed despite the murmurs. Oyebanji’s victory propelled her to office, but the whispers lingered, resurfacing now with INEC’s disclosures.
PDP voices have amplified the criticism, framing it as a betrayal of Ekiti’s intellectual heritage. Southwest PDP Publicity Secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, issued a scathing statement yesterday, labelling the certificate a “slap” on the state. “This is a source of embarrassment for all Ekiti people. A state widely celebrated for academic excellence and intellectual prowess deserves better,” he said. Atofarati questioned her suitability for high-stakes roles: “Imagine someone who today submits a low-level and an 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?”
He invoked Ekiti’s demographics, where “almost every household has a professor,” calling it “dehumanising” for such a people to be led by a “mere school certificate holder.” Aribisogan echoed this, arguing the state—regarded for its academic reputation—should shun leaders with “questionable credentials and low education.” He predicted voter backlash: “As we head for another governorship election, our people are talking again. At the appropriate time, people will do the needful and this can lead to another round of litigation that may truncate the ambition of both the governor and the deputy governor.”
Under Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), governorship candidates need a school certificate or equivalent, with credits in English and Mathematics not mandatory if other qualifications suffice. Mrs Afuye’s passes in Mathematics and History, paired with credits elsewhere, appear to meet this bar, as cleared by INEC’s Form CF 001 screening. Yet the row underscores Ekiti’s unique bar: beyond legality, voters demand symbols of erudition in a state where education drives identity.
As campaigns intensify, the APC holds firm, betting on Mrs Afuye’s record of service from her roles in local administration to deputy governorship over paper qualifications. Opposition parties, meanwhile, wield the issue to rally Ekiti’s educated elite. With June 20 approaching, this certificate clash risks escalating into courtrooms, testing whether academic optics will sway the ballot box in Nigeria’s most bookish state.
