CSU saga: Identify yourself to Nigerians, the world now, Obi challenges Tinubu
..’Uninformed outsiders now see every Nigerian as potential fraudster, forger, ID thief’
…’President cannot outsource defence on sensitive personal matter’
…Says public office makes holder’s life of public interest
..Obi is befuddled, APC replies
By Tom Okpe
Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 25 February, 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi has expressed dissatisfaction over President Bola Tinubu’s Chicago State University, (CSU) certificate saga and challenged the President to immediately come clean on his identity, his personal and academic past and related issues.
Obi said the roiling controversy and its running story of alleged forgery, perjury and associated nauseating by-products were a stain on Nigerians, Nigeria as a country, and an embarrassment to the international community.
According to him, because of Tinubu’s inaction in coming out to personally address the raging issue, uninformed outsiders now see every Nigerian as a potential fraudster, certain forger, or identity thief.
The former Anambra state governor was delivering his first major public reaction to the President’s certificate saga since the latest strand to the storyline broke. However, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), President Tinubu’s party, fired back, describing the LP flagbearer as a befuddled mind who has jumped into the same ship as presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, whose foray into U.S courts unfurled the certificate mess.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the LP Presidential candidate said having followed the prolonged identity crisis that has recently taken root in an American court and the subsequent controversy surrounding the authenticity of President Tinubu’s CSU credentials, “I am highly distressed.”
He further stressed that despite the row, at home and abroad, over the issue, “I am burdened, responding to such embarrassing questions about Nigeria’s credibility in general.”
He said: “Having followed the prolonged identity crisis that recently played out in the American court system and the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the Chicago State University credentials of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I must confess that I am distressed as a Nigerian.
“In addition to the barrage of media frenzy that the matter has triggered at home and abroad, I have had the unwholesome burden of responding to embarrassing questions about Nigeria’s overall credibility as a nation to privileged audiences and individuals both at home and abroad in different parts of the world where I have traveled lately.
“To outsiders, the entire Chicago State University matter as well as Tinubu’s many other lingering identity question marks, has further worsened Nigeria’s less-than-glorious image internationally.
“Uninformed outsiders now see every other Nigerian as a potential fraudster, certain forger, or identity thief. The controversy is unnecessary just as the implicit global embarrassment could have been avoided.
“In my opinion, Bola Tinubu should have saved the nation and himself from this protracted embarrassment and undue anxiety.
‘Tinubu should immediately clear this debt’
“Even this late in the day, however, Tinubu still owes the nation and the world a simple debt of obligation that, only he can discharge. I call on him to immediately and personally mount the rostrum of his present high office to perform a simple task, once and for all time.
“He should re-introduce himself to the nation he governs and to the world for the avoidance of further doubt.
“He should let the world know his name, nationality, place of birth, his parentage, the primary and secondary schools he attended with dates as well as the actual Universities he attended, and certificates obtained.
“He should indicate clearly where and when he did his National Youth Service. In addition, if at any time he has had a change of name, he should clearly state it, and the circumstances.
“That, in itself, is no crime. This simple task should take no more than a few minutes. It requires no affidavits, prolonged court processes, spokespersons, agents, or surrogates.
“This task is one that only Tinubu himself, through a direct personal statement can perform. He must perform this task urgently in order to lay to rest, once and for the last time, the many lingering doubts and valid speculations about his true identity.
Leader cannot outsource defence on sensitive personal matter
“A leader cannot outsource a clear unambiguous personal statement about his identity to political surrogates, social spokespersons, lawyers, or any other persons no matter how highly placed.”
The prominent politician also noted that a matter of the personal identity of a leader is too sensitive and central to the functions of the office he currently occupies to be trifled with, outsourced, or disguised under the cloak of officialdom.
Obi stressed that what is at stake are integrity, morality, values, the rule of law and other defining features.
His words: “It is also about integrity, morality, values, and the rule of law that defines the character of the nation and its people. In his present capacity as a leader of a nation of over 200 million Nigerians, his true identity is a matter of grave national and international interest.
“The people deserve to know for a certainty, the true identity of their leader and this overrides whatever rights he may have to personal privacy.
“In addition, the international community deserves to know the true identity of the person with whom they will engage in Nigeria.
“Having stood for an election to the elevated public office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Tinubu has implicitly undertaken to cede the rights of a private citizen in favour of a life of open disclosure of his true identity, and other circumstances that may be of public interest.
“His personal integrity demands no less. The legitimacy of the office he currently occupies demands that much, and even more.
“Respect for the integrity and esteem of the Nigerian nation within the community of nations makes it even more incumbent and compulsory. It is time to do the right thing.”
APC’s riposte
Reacting to the LP candidate’s position, APC described Obi as a befuddled mind, jolted out of deep slumber, saying it was a shame that he has jumped into Atiku’s bandwagon.
In a statement, also yesterday, APC, while reacting too to Obi’s interview on Arise Television same day, said Obi hugged a podium to echo a script authored by Atiku, whom it described as his ”senior partner and co-traveller on a dark ignominious alley to nowhere.”
APC NatIonal Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, who issued the statement said: “The press conference earlier today (Wednesday) Obi blathered on about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s identity and academic record, like a broken voice note of Atiku Abubakar, cutting a pitiful profile as though, forced to read a prepared statement by his unimaginative handlers, and mendacious associates in the PDP.
“Unwilling to miss out in the orchestrated campaign of calumny against President Tinubu over his certificate from the Chicago State University, Obi jumped on the tailboard of Atiku’s bandwagon to satisfy his uncanny and insatiable thirst for cheap media attention, long after his party, LP had dissociated itself from a bogus call to action by the former Vice President.
“In his drivel, Obi demanded that the President reintroduce himself to Nigerians, as though the 8.9 million Nigerians who voted him last February were all groggy when they made their free democratic choice.
“Obi must know that President Tinubu does not need a re-introduction. He does not have any identity problem, except the one contrived by the Atikus and Peters of our political firmament.
‘8.9m Nigerians who voted him, know him’
“The 8.9 million Nigerians who voted him into office were, and remain, aware of his outstanding record and accomplishments as a defender of democracy, freedom, social and economic justice for over three decades.
“Nigerians know President Tinubu as a thoroughbred professional and former auditor and treasurer of Mobil Nigeria, now ExxonMobil.
“Nigerians know the President as a former Senator of the Federal Republic where he served as Chairman of the influential Finance and Appropriations Committee.
“They know him as a former Governor of Lagos State, who designed and paved the pathway to the growth and prosperity of present day Lagos, the 5th largest economy in Africa.
“Nigerians know who they voted for as the 16th President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They voted for him with full faith and confidence that his track record and wide competencies would help in the re-engineering of our country’s economy for the good of the greatest number of Nigerians.
“In marked contrast, Nigerians have flatly and serially rejected Atiku Abubakar, and denied Peter Obi’s presidential bid in the last election.
“Beyond regaling Nigerians with false and embarrassing statistics for which he has gained notoriety, Obi cannot be said to be known for any outstanding performance as Governor of Anambra State for eight years with no worthy legacy standing to his name.
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“As for President Tinubu’s academic record at the Chicago State University, the facts are clear and settled except for those politically jaundiced by the trauma of electoral defeat.
“The CSU has unequivocally stated over and over again, and in a deposition, under oath, by the Registrar, Caleb Westberg that President Tinubu attended the school and graduated with honours.
“Nigerians are now familiar with stellar academic performance of President Tinubu as evidenced by his transcript as released by the CSU with 18As, 10Bs and 3Cs grades.
“It is disturbing and utterly contemptuous of the courts of our land for the duo of Atiku and Obi to rail and pollute the public space with the very same issues that they have submitted to the court for adjudication.
“They have continued to perpetrate public deception, operating, simultaneously, as accusers and judges in their own base cause.
“We condemned the sordid and disgraceful attempt by Obi, Atiku and their cheerleaders to use the mainstream and social media to intimidate the judiciary, incite the public to violence, disparage Justices of the Appeal and Supreme Court, and we urge all well-meaning Nigerians to condemn this anti-democratic and irresponsible conduct of both political naggers.
“For the records, our team of lawyers stand advised to explore all available judicial mechanisms towards bringing Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar to justice for their ceaseless contemptuous conduct.
“In our democracy, the office of the President is not filled by intimidation, blackmail or reckless self-help. It is filled by the people, by their lawful votes at the polls, just as they did on February 25, 2023, when they elected Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
