October 05, (THEWILL) – The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the February 25th election, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of Certificate forgery.
Addressing a world press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Atiku warned that the reputation of the country is at stake unless justice is delivered in the alleged forged certificates President Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to contest the 2023 General election.
The former Vice President also rallied Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, to join his quest to uphold the ground rules for contesting elections in the country.
“This quest is not for or about Atiku Abubakar; it’s a quest for the enthronement of truth, morality, justice, and accountability in our public affairs.
“In line with this, let me call on all well-meaning Nigerians, leaders of thought, religious, traditional, community, and political leaders.
“In particular, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso of NNPP, leaders of political parties in Nigeria, and every single person who loves this country as I do, and who wishes nothing, but the best for this country to join me in this campaign to enshrine accountability, and the basic principles of justice, morality, and uprightness in our country and in our government”, he said.
THEWILL reports that Atiku is challenging the declaration of President Bola Tinubu as winner of the February 25 poll and the affirmation of Tinubu’s victory by the election petition tribunal on September 6.
He had approached a United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, seeking details of Tinubu’s academic records at the CSU.
Atiku had subpoenaed the CSU to make Tinubu’s academic records available to his access, believing that such discoveries will shed more light on the controversies surrounding the President’s academic records
In one of his applications to the US court, Atiku had disclosed that he would use the academic records unveiled by CSU in his litigation against Tinubu at the supreme court.
“The discovery obtained should be sent to Nigeria (which is six (6) hours ahead) by October 4 so that such evidence may, in turn, be filed with the supreme court by October 5, which is when applicant’s Nigerian counsel intend to submit any new evidence to the supreme court”, he wrote
Judge Nancy L. Maldonado, on Saturday, September 30, ordered the CSU to release the academic records of Tinubu to former Vice President Atiku.
CSU had on Monday, October 2, complied with the court order and released the academic records of Tinubu to Atiku.
Speaking further on the allegation of certificate forgery during the World Press Conference in Abuja, Kalu Kalu, one of the lawyers to Atiku, insisted that President Tinubu forged the certificate he submitted to INEC to contest the 2023 Presidential Election.
“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 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, said the A in Bola A Tinubu is Ahmed, but the NYSC certificate Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to INEC has Adekunle. I don’t know where Adekunle emerged from”, he said.
Earlier, the former Vice President faulted the insinuations that he betrayed Tinubu, who many see as his former political ally.
“I disagree with Tinubu, yes it’s true that we came together in 2007. In Lagos, at the convention, I emerged winner and got the party’s ticket. After I got the ticket, he sent me about five or six senior party men, and they met me and said Bola (Tinubu) wanted to be my running mate.
“I said, gentlemen, you are all old enough, and asked, what would be your reaction to having a Muslim-Muslim ticket?
“They all answered that they objected to it, I then told them they should have told him and that was the end of the political relationship; he (Tinubu) broke away, and supported Umaru Yar’Adua. So what is the ground for him to say I betrayed him?
“In 2003, the PDP took over all the southwestern states with the exception of Lagos. I stood between Obasanjo and Tinubu and told Obasanjo to leave Lagos, and he left it. I vehemently deny that I stabbed Tinubu in the back.
“Till today, I won’t do a Muslim-Muslim ticket; I don’t have to be president; we are a multi-ethnic and multi-religious people, and our government must reflect our diversity, and our composition must reflect the same”, he explained.
Atiku reiterated his determination to seek justice, insisting he would only drop his fight with President Tinubu if the Supreme Court rules in the President’s favour.
“The case is still in court. I’ll only drop this fight if the court rules. If the court rules that I’m right, fine, if the court rules that Tinubu is right, fine. There’s no other court higher than the Supreme Court. That is where it all ends”, he concluded.
