The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Mr Dapo Abiodun, has reacted to the certificate scandal hanging over his campaign, insisting the whole matter is down to mudslinging.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Mr Abiodun said he was not worried about the scandal.
“There are no issues about my certificate,” he said, adding, “I never claimed to have finished from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).”
The APC candidate has faced allegations that he submitted conflicting educational qualifications to the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2015 when he ran for Senate and this year in his quest to become governor of his state.
Of contention is the allegation that he claimed to have obtained a degree from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, an allegation he denies.
“I never claimed to have gotten a degree from the University of Ife,” he insisted when asked about the matter.
He, however, said he studied at the university, but he didn’t graduate from there.
When asked about some profiles of him that indicate he had a B.A in Accounting, replied, “But that is not from Ife”.
When his attention was subsequently drawn to the argument of those who fault claims that he bagged B.A in accounting on the grounds that the institution did not issue B.A. certificates in accounting, he blamed the controversy on political attacks.
“This has all been an attempt at mudslinging and to confuse the electorate and it is bundled with a lot of half-truths,” he said.
“I never claimed to have studied accounting at the University of Ife. I never claimed to get it (the degree) from the University of Ife. So, this issue has been presented as the presenter wanted it presented.”
Asked to clarify what degrees he had, Mr Abiodon said, “I do have a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and I will like to stop at that because this matter will be sub judice if I go any further.”
Stressing that the matter was in court, he declined to comment further on it when questioned about where he got his degree and the veracity of the certificate he indicated he had in his form for senatorial election in 2015.
