JALINGO — Members of the 2000 graduating set of Government Secondary School (GSS), Wukari, Taraba State, have responded to a petition filed by retired Major General A.T. Ibrahim against Senator David Jimkuta over allegations that the lawmaker submitted forged secondary school credentials.
The former classmates, who addressed journalists in Jalingo on Wednesday, said they had checked available school records and maintained that Senator Jimkuta was a member of their graduating set in 2000.
The development follows a petition reportedly dated September 21, 2026, and submitted by Major General Ibrahim to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Ibrahim, who contested the recently concluded APC primary for the Taraba South Senatorial District, reportedly asked the party to disqualify Jimkuta over allegations relating to the authenticity of his secondary school certificates and declarations contained in his nomination documents.
The petition alleged that Jimkuta submitted forged National Examinations Council, NECO, certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the APC.
The allegations, however, have been disputed by members of the GSS Wukari Set 2000, who said they personally revisited the school to examine records following the petition.
Speaking during the press briefing, Haruna Magaji, one of the members of the graduating set, said the group obtained the relevant school records and found Senator Jimkuta’s name listed among the students of the 2000 set.
Magaji said Jimkuta’s name was number 98 on the list they examined, insisting that the senator graduated alongside them.
“We have once again visited the GSS to be sure of what Gen. Ibrahim has petitioned against the senator. We collected the gazette and conducted a thorough check. Senator David Jimkuta’s name is number 98 on our list,” Magaji said.
The group said the 2000 set was among the school’s pioneer students who sat for the NECO examination.
They also recalled some of the personalities associated with their set, including their former Head Boy, Magai Tsokwa, Head Girl, Lady Dankaro, and the late Mr. Adda Ali, who served as principal at the time.
Other members of the group who participated in the briefing included Galeya Gembo Suntai, Zakaria Luka, Emmanuel Audu, Manasseh Wunuji and Habibu Isyaka.
The former classmates urged Major General Ibrahim to verify the relevant records before making public allegations, saying the school records could provide an avenue for clarifying the controversy.
They questioned why, in their view, the matter was taken to the APC National Secretariat instead of first seeking clarification from GSS Wukari.
The group also spoke about Jimkuta’s activities since becoming a senator, citing what they described as empowerment interventions for people in Taraba South.
However, those claims about his wider record were made by the former classmates and were not independently verified in the reports reviewed for this story.
The petition and the response from the GSS Wukari Set 2000 have brought renewed attention to the documentation and eligibility issues surrounding the upcoming political contest in Taraba South.
At the time of this report, the allegations contained in General Ibrahim’s petition had not been independently established, while the response from Jimkuta’s former classmates represents their account of the school records.
The matter may ultimately require verification by the relevant educational authorities, the APC and, where applicable, INEC or other competent institutions.
Taraba News will continue to follow developments as the parties involved respond to the allegations and the relevant authorities clarify the status of the disputed credentials.
