Nigeria’s image now ‘worsened’ internationally by Tinubu’s certificate saga – Peter Obi

*Uninformed outsiders now see every Nigerian as a certificate forger and identity thief – LP Leader

*Says President’s certificate controversy unnecessary, global embarrassment could have been avoided

By KEMI KASUMU

The President Bola Tinubu’s certificate saga has further worsened the reputation of Nigeria in the eyes of the world, says Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi.

The former governor of a South East gateway state of Anambra stated this while addressing a press conference in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Wednesday, when he said that the certificate issue had affected the average Nigerian within and outside the country.

According to Obi, “To the outsiders, the entire Chicago University matter, as well as Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s many other lingering identity, question marks have further worsened Nigeria’s less than glorious image internationally.

“Uninformed outsiders now see every Nigerian as a fraudster, certificate forger, and identity thief. The controversy is unnecessary, and the implicit global embarrassment could have been avoided.”

The DEFENDER recalls that United States Court of the Western Illinois in Chicago had, against an appeal by President Tinubu, ordered the Chicago State University in a Saturday September 30 judgment to release the President’s academic records to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar within two days, latest on Monday October 2.

The court went ahead to also order that the university should appoint administrators to, against any sworn affidavit flying around, come before the court Tuesday October 3 to give Deposition under oath by way of giving legal force to the academic records so released.

In compliance with the court orders, the university released a 32-page document to Atiku night of Monday October 2 and gave Deposition of same before the court on October 3, after which it was discovered that Tinubu’s 1979 CSU certificate he submitted to the Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest for the February 25, 2023 election was different from samples of the certificates the university issued to students that same year.

Atiku, on Thursday, October 5, 2023 in effort to douse what was described as unnecessary controversy being created by Tinubu’s men on the authenticity of the documents received from the Chicago State University, addressed a world press conference on the certificate saga.

Asked to know which of the information being circulated about the documents in his hands, Atiku’s lawyer, Barrister Kalu Kalu, clarified that the documents Chicago State University handed to his client, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, showed that the CSU’s certificate Tinubu submitted to INEC was forged because the university said it was not issued by it.

Questions was asked by reporters during the Thursday October 5 press conference in Abuja, with one particularly about the need for the former vice president to clarify the type of documents handed to him by Chicago State University because, according to him, Tinubu’s aides had released different versions in the public that were published in the media and Nigerians wanted to know the truth about it. He also asked of what value the documents he brought from United States of America at the Supreme Court.

Responding, Barrister Kalu Kalu, a lawyer to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Dr. Atiku Abubakar, accused President Bola Tinubu of submitting a forged degree certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the February 25 election.

Barrister Kalu explained that the released document backs the forgery claims stating what the documents contain, saying, “On the certificate issued or released by Chicago State University to the lawyers of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, these are the documents:

“One, that Bola Ahmed Tinubu forged the certificate he presented to INEC. Two, that the qualifying certificate from South West College to Chicago State University bears a female indicating that, that document does not belong to Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Three, the Chicago State University admission application form has a claim that Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended Government College, Lagos and graduated in 1970 when, indeed, the school was established in 1974.

“The same document has it that the owner of that document is a Black American and (in) the document Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to INEC, he denied having dual citizenship, which means it does not belong to him.

“Then, the same document oral deposition says that the name ‘Bola A. Tinubu’ is Ahmed but the NYSC certificate Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to INEC has ‘Adekunle’. I don’t know where Adekunle and Ahmed emerged from.

Kalu had furthered said that, “So, on the second arm of your question; of what use will it be in the Supreme Court? It is very, very clear that from decided authorities the Supreme Court has held they can accept a party to adduce fresh evidence as long as certain conditions are met.

“And from what transpired in the proceedings in US court, that condition has already been met. So, as we speak our law is very clear that a party at fault cannot be allowed to enjoy the fruit of his illegality. This is our answer to your question,” the Atiku’s lawyer assured of values and usefulness of the CSU documents at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.