Tinubu’s CSU Saga: I am distressed as a Nigerian – Obi
By Tom Okpe, Abuja
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, (LP) in the February 2023 general election, Peter Obi has expressed dissatisfaction over the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chicago State University, (CSU) Certificate saga, stating that he is highly distressed as a Nigerian.
He also said Tinubu should come clean of his true identity and save the country the shame, his ‘controversial personality’ is giving the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on wednesday, the LP Presidential candidate said having followed the pro-longed identity crisis that has recently taken role in the American Court, and controversy surrounding the authenticity of the CSU credentials of president Tinubu, “I am highly, distressed.”
He further stressed that despite the row over the issue, both home and abroad, “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.
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“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.
“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.
“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 former Anambra State Governor, 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 tried with, outsourced, or disguised, under the cloak of officialdom.
“It is also about integrity, morality, values, and the rule of law that denies 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, adding, “it is time to do the right thing.”
