“My certificates are genuine and authentic. I think it is
just a kind of mischief by some other aspirants who find me to be an aspirant
to beat, trying to look for a way to discredit my person but that has been
verified and put to rest.
“I think the issue really regarding that was a school they
claim was established in 1980 and how come I was able to write my WASSCE in
1982. If you are a student of history you will recall that in 1979, when the
Governor of Lagos State at the time, Lateef Jakande became Governor of Lagos
State, most private schools were taken over and schools were built for the
communities. And Ikosi High School that I attended is one of the schools that
were built by the regime of Lateef Jakande in 1980. So, it is on record that
the school was established in 1980 and at that time I was already in Form ‘3’
in a private school.
“New Nation is in Ikosi while Royal Comprehensive High
School is in Ajegunle Ikorodu very close to Ketu. So all of us were moved to
both New Nation and Royal Comprehensive High School and some other schools that
were affected by flood. We were all moved into Ikosi High School Ketu that was
built by the government and that was how we wrote our WASCE in 1982 because we
were in the first set. I was in Form ‘3’ at the time, it used to be five years,
not now that you have six years for Secondary school.
“So their question, the petitioner is how can a school be
established in 1980 and we have a first set in 1982 that the first set was
supposed to be in 1985 but he didn’t take time to look at the history. So
investigation has been conducted, the schools are still there, WAEC office is
there where you can actually verify the subject that I took and the year that I
graduated and the school. You just need to buy a scratch card and go to the
website of WAEC, it will be there – Ikosi High School Iketu and my name will be
there with the subjects that I took and the various grades. So it is clear to
everybody that my certificate is authentic and I actually graduated from that
school in 1982.”
Asked what his advice was for those trying to pull him down,
Aiyedatiwa said there was no vacancy in the Ondo State government house.
The governor added: “I should just advise them to repent and
try to go to the field and work. If they are interested in the seat and the
seat Is not vacant, that is why they’re trying to do all that they are doing.”
