The West African Examination Council (WAEC) does not maintain duplicate copies of candidates’ certificates, according to Mr. Olufemi Olaleye, a WAEC official who testified before the Ogun State Governorship Election Tribunal in Abeokuta.
Olaleye said that in order to determine whether a candidate took the council’s examination, “the original certificate given to the candidate will be forwarded to WAEC” for verification. She made this statement while testifying before the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had its hearings in Abeokuta.
Olaleye’s remark came after the tribunal summoned the WAEC and requested that it verify the WAEC certificate that Governor Dapo Abiodun had submitted to the INEC.
The examination body had earlier been subpoenaed by the tribunal to produce a copy of Dapo Abiodun’s 1978 WAEC certificate as attached to the form he filled with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 governorship election, Ladi Adebutu, had alleged that Abiodun forged his WAEC certificate.
In his petition, Adebutu stated that Abiodun “presented a forged West African Examinations Council School Certificate of June 1978 to the 1st Respondent” (INEC) on July 25, 2022..
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The petitioner further stated that he had written a letter to WAEC, to verify the authenticity of the said examination certificate presented by Abiodun to INEC.
In the petition, “The petitioners shall at the trial subpoena officials of the said West African Examinations Council to testify on the falsity of the said certificate
While appearing before the tribunal, the WAEC official was not sworn, neither was he allowed to enter the witness box as he said “the requested certificate is not here with me.”
Asking whether he was with the copy of the said certificate, he said “WAEC does not issue certificate to candidate twice.
However, Olaleye was allowed to tender in evidence, a copy of the subpoena issued to the examination body, upon which he was at the tribunal.
Olaleye was discharged immediately he was recorded as having testified before the tribunal as PW73.
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