The Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development has called on the Nigeria Police Force to investigate allegations of certificate forgery and falsification against the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle.
In a statement signed by its Group Executive Director, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, the organisation alleged that Matawalle submitted a National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination result obtained in June 2018 as part of his credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2023 governorship election in Zamfara State.
The group questioned the circumstances under which the minister allegedly sat for the examination, claiming that the NECO Senior School Certificate Internal Examination is designed for students in their final year of secondary school and is subject to specific registration requirements.
According to the statement, Matawalle had previously relied on a 1985 statement of results from the Vocational Training Centre, Bunza, Sokoto State, in elections he contested between 1998 and 2023.
The group also cited a 2018 correspondence from the Federal Ministry of Education which reportedly stated that the vocational training certificate could not be evaluated as equivalent to a Senior School Certificate issued by either the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Based on these claims, the organisation argued that questions remain regarding the academic qualifications presented by the minister in previous elections and urged the Inspector-General of Police to conduct a thorough investigation.
The group said it had released several documents to support its petition, including copies of the 1985 statement of result, the Ministry of Education’s evaluation letter, the alleged NECO certificate, and certified copies of electoral forms submitted to INEC.
Shinkafi also called for verification of Matawalle’s claimed attendance at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, as contained in electoral documents.
The organisation maintained that public office holders should be held accountable and urged law enforcement authorities to investigate the allegations and take appropriate action if any wrongdoing is established.
