Senator David Jimkuta
Former classmates of Senator David Jimkuta at Government Secondary School (GSS), Wukari, Taraba State, have rejected allegations that the lawmaker forged his secondary school certificate, insisting that he graduated with them in the year 2000.
The alumni, under the GSS Wukari Set 2000, spoke during a press briefing in Jalingo on Wednesday. They described the petition submitted by retired Major General AT Ibrahim against the senator as false and urged him to verify his claims before making such allegations.
General Ibrahim, who contested the recent APC primary for the Taraba South Senatorial District, had petitioned the party’s National Chairman, asking for Senator Jimkuta’s disqualification. In the petition dated September 21, 2026, he alleged that the senator submitted forged examination certificates to the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Part of the petition reads: “I sincerely know as true and correct, that Senator David Jimkuta submitted forged documents to INEC and also made false declarations on Oath in his Declaration of Interest and Nomination Forms to the party and INEC respectively. The said forged documents submitted to INEC are National Examinations Certificates while these said documents were also attached to his Declaration of Interest and Nomination Forms and sworn to be real, to enable him qualify and/or be qualified constitutionally, to run and be nominated as the candidate of the party for the Taraba South Senatorial District election slated for 2027.”
Responding to the allegation, leaders of the GSS Wukari Set 2000, including Haruna Magaji, Galeya Gembo Suntai, Zakaria Luka, Emmanuel Audu, Manasseh Wunuji and Habibu Isyaka, said they were in the same graduating class as Senator Jimkuta.
Magaji said the set was the first graduating class to sit for the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination and insisted that the certificate being questioned genuinely belongs to the senator.
“We have once again visited the GSS to be sure of what Gen. Ibrahim has petition against the senator, we collected the gazette and conducted thorough check, Sen. David Jimkuta’s name is number 98 on our list, we are sure before we decided to appear for this press briefing.”
He added: “We want to sound very clear, not only to Gen. AT Ibrahim but for everybody to know that Sen. Jimkuta graduated together with us during the set 2000 in Wukari at GSS, for the sake of records. Our Head Boy was Mr. Magai Tsokwa, our Head Girl was Lady Dankaro, our Principal was late Mr. Adda Ali and some of the teachers who are prominent in the society are Daniel Ishaya Gani (Skeco) and Mr. A. Hausa.”
The group also criticised the retired army officer for taking the matter to the APC National Secretariat instead of confirming the facts with the school authorities.
“We are not happy with what Gen. Ibrahim has done, he lives in Wukari. His house to the school where we graduated is just a stone throw. He can simply take a walk to GSS and make findings himself, instead he has made himself a laughing stock at the national Secretariat of the APC.”
They further appealed to the retired general to confirm information before making public accusations.
“We are calling on the General to verify his information before going out. As an elder in our society, we prefer to continue guiding and protecting him the same way Sen. Jimkuta has recently sponsored his medical trip abroad where he survived, rather than presenting himself for falsehoods,” Magaji said.
