Adeosun: Court says NYSC not mandatory for public office holders

A federal high court in Abuja has ruled that former minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, had no obligation to produce a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate to enable her to hold public office in Nigeria.

in 2018, Premium Times, accused the former minister of forging her exemption certificate, a document issued to Nigerians excluded from carrying out the mandatory one-year national youth service.

Adeosun, who lived in the UK until she was 34, said she had been told she was exempted from the mandatory service because she was over 30.

The former minister in a statement in September 2018 said she was issued with a certificate that she thought was genuine.

Adeosun eventually resigned after months of speculation in local media about whether her NYSC was genuine.

The former investment banker said she felt bound to resign after the investigation result became known.

“This has come as a shock to me and I believe that in line with this administration’s focus on integrity, I must do the honourable thing and resign,” Adeosun said.

But delivering ruling in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/303/21 brought by Wole Olanipekun, a senior lawyer, on behalf of the former minister, Taiwo Taiwo, the judge, held that the constitution does not state the NYSC certificate is a mandatory requirement for holding a political office in the country.

The court, however, did not speak on the allegation that Adeosun forged the certificate.