NOUN Suspends Alumni Election as Certificate Forgery, Racketeering Petitions Trigger Investigation

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has suspended activities of its Alumni Association, including the October 10, 2026 election, following petitions alleging certificate forgery, certificate racketeering and other irregularities within the association.

The university also ordered the suspension of activities by the current executive committee of the National Open University of Nigeria Alumni Association (NOUNAA) at the national, state and other levels pending the outcome of an investigation.

The decision was communicated in a letter signed by the University Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Oladipo Ajayi, and addressed to NOUNAA National President, Ifeanyi Obukwelu. According to reports, the petitions were considered during the university management’s 124th Regular Meeting held on September 21, 2026.

Among the issues raised in the petitions were allegations concerning forged certificates, certificate racketeering and the involvement of individuals allegedly not qualified as NOUN graduates in the affairs of the alumni association. Questions were also reportedly raised about the eligibility of voters and candidates participating in the planned election.

NOUN, however, made clear that the allegations had not been established. The university said the matters required proper and impartial investigation before any conclusions could be reached.

As part of its response, the university resolved to constitute a committee to investigate the allegations involving the national president and members of the executive committee. The committee is expected to examine the claims and make recommendations to the university management.

The university also directed the NOUNAA president to cease participating in proceedings of the university’s Governing Council in his capacity as alumni association president pending the determination of the matter.

The development has, however, generated a dispute over the status of the October 10 election.

Obukwelu has reportedly rejected the suspension and maintained that the election should proceed according to the association’s constitution and the timetable issued by its Electoral Committee. In an internal memorandum, he stated that the association had responded to the university through its solicitors and sought fairness, due process and an opportunity for affected officers to respond to the allegations.

The NOUNAA leadership has also reportedly argued that the association, as an incorporated trustee under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, as amended, has a distinct legal status.

The disagreement places the proposed alumni election in uncertainty as the university’s suspension remains in effect while the association challenges the decision.

The controversy comes at a sensitive point for an alumni body whose stated objectives include strengthening fellowship among graduates and supporting the development of the university. The association’s own published governance materials recognise the importance of constitutional rules governing membership, leadership, elections and accountability.

For NOUN, the investigation will be significant not only in determining the validity or otherwise of the allegations but also in protecting the credibility of the university’s alumni structures. Any final determination should therefore be based on documentary evidence, transparent procedures and the opportunity for all affected parties to respond.

Until the investigation is concluded, the allegations against the NOUNAA leadership should not be treated as proven misconduct. The outcome of the university’s inquiry is expected to clarify the issues surrounding the association’s membership, electoral process and the allegations that triggered the suspension.

National Open University of Nigeria suspends the NOUNAA alumni election over petitions alleging certificate forgery, racketeering and electoral irregularities as an investigation begins.