Omotayo Fashola
Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has announced plans to crack down on individuals involved in certificate forgery after the November 8 governorship election.
Soludo made this declaration in Awka during an event to inaugurate members of his campaign council for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
He revealed that a running mate of a top rival party’s candidate is falsely claiming a PhD, misleading young people into thinking degrees can simply be bought.
Without naming the individual, the governor stressed the need to restore moral values, similar to his campaign against fraudulent native doctors promising easy wealth.
He confirmed that a post-election crackdown on fake certificate holders is imminent.
Soludo told his supporters: “INEC requires candidates to list their qualifications, yet this running mate listed only a school certificate and a PhD, skipping degrees and diplomas in between.
“Investigations show the PhD is from an unaccredited institution—one of those ‘pay-and-get’ diploma mills charging as little as $60.
“This so-called university lacks recognition in the U.S. and from Nigeria’s National Universities Commission. A simple affidavit confirming just the school certificate would have sufficed instead of this fraudulent claim.
“After November 8, we will launch a full-scale fight against fake credentials, following our crackdown on fake native doctors.
“Such actions mislead our youth. Genuine achievements require hard work, not bought certificates. We will not tolerate this deception. Anambra’s transformation demands accountability, and we won’t back down.”
