By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
A civil society group, Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development, has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission [(CPC)to investigate allegations of documents falsification and forgery against Bello Mohammed Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence.
In a press release signed by its Chairman, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, the group alleged that Matawalle submitted a forged National Examination Council [NECO] Senior Secondary School Certificate [SSCE] Internal Result, June 2018, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the petition, the alleged certificate was filed as part of Matawalle’s personal particulars for the 2023 Zamfara governorship race. The group argued that the 2018 SSCE Internal is a school-based examination restricted to students in their final year, and therefore questioned how a sitting former lawmaker could have sat for it.
The petition cited NECO’s registration guidelines, which make a National Identification Number (NIN), matching biodata, passport photographs in school uniform, and biometric capture in school mandatory. It also prohibits the transfer of candidates into Senior Secondary 3 across schools and bans impersonation during fingerprint capture.
Details of the disputed result listed in the petition include: Centre Number 0140300, Centre Name Universal Academy Kaduna, Registration No. 82806975CC, Candidate Name Bello Mohammed Matawalle, Gender Male, and State Zamfara.
The group further alleged that Matawalle has relied for over four decades on a “Statement of Result” dated May/June 1985 from the Vocational Training Centre, Bunza, Sokoto State, for appointments and elections, without presenting an original certificate.
To support the claim, the petition attached a 28th December, 2018 letter from the Federal Ministry of Education’s Evaluation and Accreditation Division. The letter, signed by V. Rowland Kayode on behalf of the Minister, stated that the Bunza auto mechanic certificate “cannot be evaluated because it is not equivalent to a Senior School Certificate awarded by WAEC or NECO in Nigeria.”
Citing Section 65 and Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Patriots said candidates for the House of Representatives and governorship must possess at least a School Certificate or its equivalent. They contended that Matawalle did not meet that threshold in all elections he contested from 1998 to 2023.[2][a][d]
The group called on the Police and ICPC to conduct a “thorough and discreet investigation” into the breach, and submitted four documents: the 1985 Bunza result, the Ministry of Education’s 2018 evaluation letter, a copy of the alleged 2018 NECO result, and certified true copies of INEC Forms CFOO 2011, CFOO 2019 and EC9 2023.
The petition also urged investigators to verify Matawalle’s claim of attending Yaba College of Technology Lagos, noting that the course and period of study were not stated in the INEC forms.
“It is in the national interest to hold elected and appointed public office holders accountable,” Dr. Shinkafi stated. He added that anyone found culpable should face full prosecution under Nigeria’s Criminal and Penal Codes to deter others and protect the country’s international reputation.
The group stressed that public office holders found wanting should not be allowed to resign to escape accountability, but must face the law for alleged forgery used to access public office.
As of press time, there was no official response from the ICPC, the Ministry of State for Defence, or Mr. Matawalle’s office regarding the allegations contained in the petition.
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