Aiyedatiwa, who made the demand in a letter dated April 8, 2024, and addressed to Hassan through his counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), amongst other demands, also demanded withdrawal of what he described as false and malicious publications made of and concerning his West African School Certificate Examination result (WAEC).
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has demanded public apology from a lawyer, Oladotun Hassan of Juryman Associate Chambers, who petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Police Service Commission (PSC) accusing the governor of certificate forgery.
Aiyedatiwa, who made the demand in a letter dated April 8, 2024, and addressed to Hassan through his counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), amongst other demands, also demanded withdrawal of what he described as false and malicious publications made of and concerning his West African School Certificate Examination result (WAEC).
Aiyedatiwa, who denied the certificate forgery allegations, threatened to take legal action against Hassan if he failed, refused or neglected to comply with the demands within seven days of receipt of the letter.
Hassan had also in his petition to the IGP and the Police Service Commission alleged the move by an alleged top-ranking officer to tamper with the report of a probe into the academic credential of Governor Aiyedatiwa.
In a report purportedly signed by the Deputy Commissioner Police, the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, DCP Tahir Usman, the police investigation into Aiyedatiwa’s WAEC certificate concluded that there was no proof that the governor attended Ikoyi High School, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos.
But the police in a statement issued on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the document titled "RE: Case of Alleged Fraudulent Misrepresentation, Certificate Forgery, Examination Malpractice and Perjury" did not originate from the Force.
But Hassan in the petition dated April 5, 2024, claimed that his earlier petition led to the probe, and insisted that the report was authentic, adding that he received a copy of the report through a Freedom of Information he filed.
However, the governor in the letter to Hassan on Monday provided details of his examination centre and result scores.
The letter read, “It has come to the attention of our Client that by an unsolicited letter dated June 2, 2023, you caused to be authored and submitted to the Nigeria Police Force, an unsubstantiated complaint of misrepresentation, certificate forgery, examination malpractice and perjury, against our Client, whereas you are not a registered voter ni or an indigene of Ondo State to possess the requisite locus to ground your said complaint.
“Your petition was cleverly routed through unauthorised sources within the police force and without recourse to our client, a report was purportedly submitted to you by the police dated February 19, 2024.
“You thereafter caused the said report to be widely circulated as the basis of a malicious design to disqualify our Client from participating in the governorship primary election in Ondo State.
“You thereafter caused another letter to be written to the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress with the same purpose of disqualifying our Client from participating in the governorship primary election of the said Party fixed for April 2024.
“You have since led a vicious campaign of calumny against our Client through these and other false publications, all of which have brought our client into public ridicule and opprobrium, albeit without any justification whatsoever.
“Upon proper review and scrutiny of your baseless complaint, the lawful authorities of the Nigeria Police Force in a public notice dated April 5, 2024, indicated their intention to embark upon detailed and comprehensive review of the police report that was the outcome of your said petition.
“In proof of your malicious intent, you caused another letter dated April 5, 2024 to be written and submitted to the Nigeria Police Force, wherein you stated as follows, of and concerning our client;
“‘It is instructive to note that since the information was made public to the leadership of the APC, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa instead of coming out to explain how he sat and got (sic) a WAEC O’level certificate in 1982 from a school that was founded in 1980 which admitted to the police that it was accredited to conduct its first WAEC May/June examination in 1985, he has been busy trying to compromise the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force, in order to prejudice the outcome of the report of the screening Committee of the APC.
“In concert with him in the nefarious act of trying to compromise the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force is the (sic) DIG Sylvester Alabi, who we are told have (sic) been intimidating and harassing your gallant and diligent officers who carried (sic) a thorough investigation into the matter to the extent of issuing them queries.’
“A copy of your letter of April 5 instant as acknowledged by the police has been circulating in the media and in the public domain and the same was brought to the attention of our Client through numerous telephone calls from his supporters and admirers all over the world and the good people of Ondo State.”
According to the letter, “The ordinary and intended meaning of your letter above is that: Our Client is a criminal who forged his WAEC certificate, and who is engaged in examination malpractice, perjury and fraudulent misrepresentation.
“Our Client is covering up his criminal tendencies by refusing to explain how he obtained his West African School Leaving Certificate. Our Client is compromising the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force in order to prejudice the outcome of the report of the screening committee of the APC
“Our Client is in collusion with DIG Sylvester Alabi in the nefarious act of compromising the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force. Our Client is a fraud, who is not entitled to be accepted to participate in the governorship primary election in Ondo State coming up in April 2024.
“Our Client is not entitled to participate in or be elected as the governor of Ondo State in the election coming up in November 2024. Our Client possesses a criminal record which should disqualify him from aspiring to any public office, especially as governor of Ondo State.
“Our Client is a criminal who has compromised the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force in order to cover up his crimes. Our Client should not be elected into office as governor of Ondo State.
“Our Client suffers from moral and legal depravities and should not be allowed to participate in the governorship primary election of the APC in Ondo State.”
The letter noted that “These publications are false and thus libelous, either in their ordinary or intended meanings and they have lowered the esteem of our Client in the eyes of the public, especially Nigerians and the good people of Ondo State.
“As you are well aware and have stated in your letters, our Client was at all material times the Deputy Governor of Ondo State and he is presently the Governor of Ondo State.
“Our Client has yielded to the request of the good people of Ondo State to contest the governorship election coming up in the State in November 2024, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
“Your letters to the police and to the APC were all calculated to disqualify him from participating in or contesting the said elections without lawful justification, and to discredit him as unworthy of the votes and support of the people.
“Whereas you are not an officer of the Nigeria Police Force, you have nonetheless set out to hinder and frustrate any thorough investigation into the wild allegations made against our Client, all in the bid to compel the police to accept your malicious version against our Client.
“The determination of whether a candidate sat for any examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council has been simplified by the organization through technology, and it is accessible to all.
“Upon your chorused repetition of this falsehood against our Client, we took steps to conduct a verification exercise and indeed confirmed the authenticity of his West African School Certificate Examination results.
“We challenge you to proceed to do the same with the following particulars: Name of the Candidate: Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa; Centre Number: 15592; Examination Number: 019; Centre: Ikosi High School, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos State. Date of Examination: May/June, GCE O/L, 1982.
“The search will bring out the following results in favour of our Client: English Language: 8; Bible Knowledge: 6; Economics: 4; Health Science: 8; Commerce: 3; Accounts: 7; Business Management: 8.
“In the light of all the foregoing, we have the instructions of our Client to demand from you as follows: A public apology, to be published in at least three newspapers with wide circulation all over Nigeria.
“An unconditional withdrawal of all false and malicious publications made of and concerning the West African School Certificate Examination result of our Client.
“An unconditional withdrawal of your letters to the Nigeria Police Force in respect of the West African School Certificate Examination results of our Client.
“An unconditional withdrawal of your letters to the All Progressives Congress in respect of the West African School Certificate Examination results of our Client.
“An unconditional withdrawal of your letters to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in respect of the West African School Certificate Examination results of our Client.
“Adequate compensation for the false and libelous publications made of and concerning our Client based on his status, position in life and political career.
“To cease and desist from authoring, publishing or in any other manner circulating further false and libelous publications of and concerning our client.
“Take notice that if you fail, refuse and/or neglect to comply with the above-stated demands within 7 (seven) clear days of your receipt of this letter, we shall proceed to execute our Client's further instructions to explore all lawful means to seek redress against you without further notice to you.”