Arabambi said the NDC leadership, particularly former Bayelsa State governor and the party’s national leader, Seriake Dickson, should not issue Peter Obi a presidential nomination form until the questions surrounding his official records were resolved.
He said, “My appeal first will go to the leader of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, not to foster what I will call a disaster in Nigeria by presenting Mr Peter Obi as the presidential candidate by giving him that form rather than giving him a JAMB form to fill.”
Arabambi pointed at multiple variations of Peter Obi’s name across documents submitted to electoral and educational authorities, alleging that the former Governor in 2022 completed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Form EC9 and identified himself as “Peter Onwubuasi Gregory.”
Arabambi, however, claimed that other documents attached to the form contained variations including “Obi Gregory Onwubuasi” and “Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi.”
According to him, the differences are significant because the same individual is expected to maintain a consistent identity across official records unless there is formal documentation establishing a change of name.
Arabambi also questioned the name appearing on documents relating to Peter Obi’s education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and subsequently on his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate.
He claimed that Peter Obi’s university certificate bears the name “Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi,” while another variation appears on his NYSC certificate.
The former LP spokesman argued that the issue goes beyond a mere difference in the order of names, because Peter Obi declared on the INEC form that he had no other formal name.
He stated, “When you decided to write your name as Peter Gregory Onwubuasi and the first certificate you presented, not even the primary school certificate now has Obi Gregory Onwubuasi, that is an anomaly.
“And they asked him on page 2 in Form EC9, do you have any other formal name, and he said, ‘no’.
“That means that everything attached contradicted all the names he used his hand to write.”
The LP chieftain further questioned the circumstances surrounding the signing of Peter Obi’s university certificate and NYSC discharge certificate during the weekend.
According to Arabambi, the issues were not entirely new and recalled that he had publicly raised questions about Peter Obi’s certificates during the 2023 election cycle.
He said, “I don’t know whether the Vice Chancellor or Registrar that signed this was aware that there was no force majeure in Nigeria on Friday and Saturday. What will make them go to work on Saturday to go and sign this certificate?
“I was the publicity secretary of the party when I first came out to say that the man was parading fake certificates. This was in 2023. Then, I had wasted my vote for him, but I am not going to do so again.”
Arabambi said he had written to the National Youth Service Corps, the West African Examinations Council and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, seeking clarification, but the institutions are delaying their responses.
He added, “I have written to NYSC, but they are dilly-dallying; my lawyer will write to them again as a reminder. We have written to WAEC and to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“I am not begging them to release it, but once we give them a letter of reminder and they fail, we will go and commit them to prison. This is our country. People must not be hiding information.
“If a man cannot come out clean to say this is my name, there is a problem. Let us address this issue. This man is not the owner of this certificate.
“I expected him to have at least an affidavit for a change of name like women do when they get married.”
