The All Progressives Congress (APC) has released the list of uncleared aspirants in the ongoing House of Representatives primary election across the country, with Sanni Salau Ogembe of Okene/Ogori-Magongo affected despite noted as the favorite of the leadership in Kogi State.
The list of uncleared aspirants was released by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka while the primary election was already underway,and Ogembe touted to be leading in the votes against the incumbent, Tijani Ahmed Ozigi; Muhammed Yusuf Dongo, and Audu Omeiza.
ebirareporters.com has now possessed a petition which may have indicted and led to the disqualification of Ogembe, exposing an alleged discrepancy in his school certificates tendered before the screening committee.
The petition addressed to the party on May 11, 2026 was written by a lawyer by the name Kalu E on behalf of one Desmond Obaro, a member of the party and constituent from Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area of the state.
The petition accused Ogembe of submitting false documents to the screening committee with an intention to deceive them and the leadership of the party.
“The first document we wish to draw your attention to, is a SCHOOL LEAVING TESTIMONIAL purportedly issued to SANNI SALAU OGEMBE by Maya Community Senior Grammar School. The said Testimonial is hereby annexed and marked as ANNEXURE Testimonial. On his submission, the law is settled that a Testimonial is not a substitute for school certificate and should not be treated as one.
“The second document on which we wish to draw your attention is a police extract characterized with obvious falsehood wherein SANNI SALAU OGEMBE claimed he lost his First School Leaving Certificate issued to him by Muslim Mission Primary School, Oworosoki Bariga, Lagos from 1983 – 1986; First School Leaving Certificate issued to him by Saint Paul Primary School, Okene, Kogi State from 1980 – 1983; SSCE Certificate issued to him by Muslim College, Oworosoki Bariga, Lagos from 1987 – 1990; SSCE Certificate issued to him by Maya Grammar, Itokin Road, Ikorodu Lagos from 1991 – 1992. Annexed herein is a copy of the said police extract and is marked as “ANNEXURE POLICE EXTRACT”.
“From the information contained in “ANNEXURE POLICE EXTRACT”, it is abundantly clear that SANNI SALAU OGEMBE gave the police false information on his educational qualifications he knew he did not possess. As at 1990 when SANNI SALAU OGEMBE claimed he was issued an SSCE CERTIFICATE, he had barely spent three (3) years at Muslim College, Oworosoki, Lagos and was not even qualified to sit for the said examination.
“Despite his false submission to the police as captured in “ANNEXURE POLICE EXTRACT”, SANNI SALAU OGEMBE went ahead to depose to an affidavit on facts he knew were false. Attached herein is a copy the said affidavit and is marked as “ANNEXURE AFFIDAVIT”.
“A combination of these annexures shows clearly that SANNI SALAU OGEMBE does not posses the educational qualification provided by Section 65(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution and thus not qualified to run for OKENE/OGORI MAGONGO FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF KOGI STATE.
“Arising from the foregoing, we, therefore, respectfully believe SANNI SALAU OGEMBE does not posses a school leaving certificate as enshrined in the constitution and has presented false documents to members of the screening committee,”the petitioner said.
He went further to call for the disqualification of Ogembe from participating in the primary election, threatening that if the party failed to take necessary action, his he will approach a court of competent jurisdiction.
“Having breached the Primary Election Guidelines of the All Progressives Congress and the Electoral Act, 2026, for the said primary election, which he swore to uphold on No. 16 (Allegiance) as contained in the Expression of Interest Form and sworn in an affidavit, we request that further disciplinary actions be meted against SANNI SALAU OGEMBE to serve as a deterrent to future aspirants of the party.
“It is pertinent that our client has brought this petition before your notice out of patriotism and love for the party in order to prevent the circumstances where candidates of other political parties will capitalize on these constitutional breaches to invalidate the mandate of the party should SANNI SALAU OGEMBE emerge candidate of OKENE/OGORI MAGONGO Federal Constituency of Kogi State,” he added.
The development, ebirareporters.com learnt, has rattled leaders in the state, making frantic moves to revert the disqualification and also deliver the primary election.
