APC blasts Peter Obi over demand for Tinubu’s identity, academic records

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has blasted Peter Obi for asking President Bola Tinubu to unveil his identity and academic records to Nigerians.

Mr Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, made the demand on Wednesday at a press conference in Abuja.

The LP candidate, who came third in the election, and now challenging the electoral victory of Mr Tinubu at the Supreme Court, asked that the former Lagos State governor should come clean on his identity and academic records, particularly with regards to the certificate degree he bagged from the Chicago State University, his name, age and family records, among others.

The former Anambra State governor asked President Tinubu to save the nation the shame his ”controversial personality” is bringing to Nigerians.

Mr Tinubu’s certificate from CSU has been a subject of controversy lately when Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the PDP and first runner-up in the election, sought to clarify from the school if indeed Mr Tinubu graduated from there and earned his degree as claimed.

The university registrar, at a recent court deposition, did affirm that Mr Tinubu graduated from the university in 1979 but failed to authenticate the diploma the president submitted to INEC during the election.

In response to Mr Obi’s demand, the APC in a statement on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the LP candidate was on an ignominious alley to nowhere, just like his counterpart, Atiku.

The statement noted that as for President Tinubu’s academic record at the Chicago State University, the facts are clear and settled except for those political jaundiced by the trauma of electoral defeat.

The party noted that in contrast to what Mr Obi and Atiku are asking for via the Supreme Court, Nigerians flatly and serially rejected the duo’s presidential bid in the last election election.

The APC upbraided Mr Obi for misleading Nigerians with false and embarrassing statistics for which he has gained notoriety.

” Peter 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,” a part of the statement read.

Read the full statement below:

SHAME, AS PETER OBI JUMPS ON ATIKU ABUBAKAR’S BANDWAGON

Like a befuddled mind jolted out of deep slumber, Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate, hugged a podium to echo a script authored by Atiku Abubakar, his senior partner and co-traveller on a dark ignominious alley to nowhere.

At his press conference earlier today, Mr 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 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Unwilling to miss out on the orchestrated campaign of calumny against President Bola Ahmed 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 Labour Party had dissociated itself from a bogus call to action by the former Vice President.

In his drivel, Peter Obi demanded that the President reintroduce himself to Nigerians, as though the 8.9 million Nigerians who voted for him last February were all groggy when they made their free democratic choice.

Mr 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.

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, and 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 election.

Beyond regaling Nigerians with false and embarrassing statistics for which he has gained notoriety, Peter 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.

As for President Tinubu’s academic record at the Chicago State University, the facts are clear and settled except for those political jaundiced by the trauma of electoral defeat.

The Chicago State University 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 the stellar academic performance of President Tinubu as evidenced by his transcript 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 base cause.

We condemn 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 is 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.

Signed:
Felix Morka, Esq.
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)