Former Senator Babafemi Ojudu has called on Anthony Kila to publicly disclose his true academic history, withdraw any false qualifications and make restitution for benefits obtained through misrepresentation.
Mr. Ojudu, a journalist and politician made this call on Sunday amid ongoing controversy regarding Kila’s credentials.
It was reported that Kila was suspended last week as the Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, MCIU, after he was accused of faking his professorship in an investigative report by Premium Times.
The report was made on Saturday October 10, 2026, where it was alleged that Kila falsified his Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees.
The former senator called on Mr. Kila’s family and close friends to support him through the controversy, stressing that public scrutiny should not descend into cruelty even as questions about his academic credentials demand answers.
“We can insist on the truth without turning public scrutiny into cruelty,” he said, adding that Mr. Kila’s life remained worth protecting despite the allegations.
Mr. Ojudu said he knew Mr. Kila through their participation in a Yoruba association, where he described the public commentator as articulate, intellectually gifted and dignified.
He said Mr. Kila’s apparent intellectual ability made the allegations particularly difficult to understand, questioning why someone with such abilities would need to invent academic qualifications.
“A person can be widely read, knowledgeable and useful to society without a university degree. There is no shame in that. But claiming qualifications one has not earned is a betrayal of trust,” he wrote.
Mr. Kila maintained that he was a professor, saying he stood by the title and the academic and professional credentials on which they were based.
However, he did not provide evidence identifying a credible institution that awarded him the professorial rank in his response.
The first investigation, published on 3 October, found no evidence that a recognised academic institution had awarded Mr. Kila the professorial title he has been using publicly for years.
He attributed the title to the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies, an institution which existence could not be established.
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A follow up investigation, examined the bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate and other qualifications Mr. Kila claimed to have obtained from universities in Italy and the United Kingdom.
The investigation found discrepancies between his claims and the universities’ records, including institutions that said they had never offered some of the programmes he listed.
The University of Essex, for instance, says it had never offered the postgraduate diploma in media and communication that Mr. Kila claimed to have obtained in 1992.
In response, Mr. Kila said he was gathering his academic and professional documents and had begun contacting the institutions concerned.
“I am currently putting together my academic and professional documents, and they will be ready soon,” he told the newspaper.
The controversy has also prompted institutional action.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has also constituted a team to investigate the allegations and determine whether the university benefited from Mr. Kila’s actions.
Mr. Ojudu said that if the findings of investigations are proven, Mr. Kila should disclose whether the disputed qualifications secured appointments, payments or other benefits and address such matters through the appropriate processes.
He also asked Mr. Kila to accept the consequences of any proven wrongdoing, warning that public trust could not be restored through persuasive speeches or an apology that failed to acknowledge the deception.
However, Mr. Ojudu appealed for compassion, asking family and friends to remain close to him during the controversy.
He said he had no information that Mr. Kila intended to harm himself but wanted those around him to check on his welfare and seek professional assistance if necessary.
He said Mr. Kila could still rebuild his life by abandoning any false claims, pursuing qualifications legitimately and contributing to society through demonstrable achievements.
“The first step towards that future is an honest account of the past,” Mr. Ojudu wrote.
Mr. Ojudu served as senator for Ekiti Central from 2011 to 2015 after winning the seat on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, defeating former Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti.
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