Osun Gov Poll: Drama as Police declare Adeleke wanted for Exam malpractice

There was drama as the Nigeria Police Force, yesterday, filed charges of examination malpractices, impersonation and criminal conspiracy against the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Saturday’s election in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke.


However, in a new twist, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Idris to stop the invitation of Senator Adeleke.

A Presidency source, who pleaded for anonymity, confirmed this development to newsmen.

According to the source, Buhari ordered that Adeleke should not be invited until after Saturday’s election.

But a presidential source told reporters that Buhari had ordered the IGP not to go ahead with the invitation until the governorship election is over.

This was as the West African Examination Council, WAEC, yesterday, confirmed before an Abuja High Court sitting at Bwari, that Adeleke, was among 221 candidates that sat for examination it conducted in May/June, 1981.

The police asked him and four others to report to the Special Investigation Panel at the Abuja headquarters for arraignment in court.

He and other suspects will face a charge of examination malpractice, criminal conspiracy, and impersonation.

The PDP, however, tackled the Police for the warrant of arrest saying it was an attempt to run down the PDP candidate for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.

Adeleke declared wanted

Speaking to journalist in Abuja, Police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, said that investigations revealed that Senator Adeleke and his brother Sikiru Adeleke registered and sat for the National Examination Council Examination (NECO) 2017 as internal candidates, impersonating students of the school at the ages of 57 and 42 years respectively.

Moshood said: “When the Police operative arrived at the school, only Sikiru Adeleke was found seated for the examination while Senator Ademola Adeleke seat was vacant and was suspected to have escaped before the arrival of the Police operatives.

“Further investigation revealed that both Senator Ademola Adeleke and his brother Sikiru Adeleke registered and were sitting for the National Examination Council Examination, NECO, 2017 as internal candidates impersonating students of the School at the ages of 57years and 42years respectively. This crime was facilitated by the principal of the school, and two other members of staff of the school for which they are under investigation and being charged to court.

“The Principal of the school, Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau, the staff responsible for registration, Mr Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo and a teacher Mr Dare Olutope were arrested on 21 July 2017. “Senator Ademola Adeleke was arrested on 27 July 2017 and Sikiru Adeleke was arrested on 8 August 2017.

“Senator Ademola Adeleke made cautionary statement and admitted that he registered for the 2017 NECO examinations as an internal student in the said school but he didn’t sit for the examination. “However, Police investigation revealed the following primafacial and culpability facts against Senator Ademola Adeleke and four (4) others.

“Senator Ademola Adeleke made cautionary statement and admitted that he registered for the 2017 NECO examinations as an internal student in the said school and did not sit for the examination but have a result from NECO with Seven (7) Credit and One (1) Pass, a copy of which was obtained from NECO by the Police.

“The Ojo/Aro 2017 NECO, SSCE school photo album (School’s copy), with Senator Ademola Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke photographs in school uniform in the said album.

“Senator Ademola Adeleke in the NECO Result obtained claimed that he was born on 12th June 1997 but in his statement to the Police, senator Ademola Adeleke wrote 13th May 1960 as his Date of Birth.

“The photographs of both Senator Ademola Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke appearing side by side in the photo album have no NECO stamps on them. “ “Consequently, Senator Ademola Adeleke (PDP Governorship Aspirant in the 22nd September, 2018 Gubernatorial Election in Osun State) and four (4) others namely; MR Sikiru Adeleke, Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau (Principal of Ojo-Aro Community High School, Egbedore LGA, Osun State), Mr Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo (School Staff responsible for the registration of candidates for NECO), Mr Dare Olutope (School Teacher who facilitated the commission of the crime) are, hereby, advised in their own interest to report to the Special Investigation Panel, Force Headquarters, Abuja immediately for arraignment in court.”