Peter Obi, Labour Party presidential candidate said Nigerians deserve the truth about president’s true identity following the issue of authenticity of the Chicago State University credentials of Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“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 Chief 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 travelled lately.
“To outsiders, the entire
Chicago State University matter as well as 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 other Nigerian as a potential fraudster, certificate forger, or identity
thief. The controversy is unnecessary just as the implicit global embarrassment
could have been avoided.
Saving Tinubu, Nigeria from
undue embarrassment
“In my opinion, Chief Bola
Tinubu should have saved the nation and himself from this protracted
embarrassment and undue anxiety.
“Even this late in the day,
however, Chief Bola 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 his 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 so 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
Chief Bola 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.
“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.
“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.’’
Asked if he was favourably
disposed to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s call to join the fight to
unravel the controversy behind Tinubu’s true identity, Obi said on matters of
national interest, he is open to protecting the nation, adding that the issue
had gone beyond politics or political considerations.
On why he didn’t query Tinubu’s
credentials when INEC displayed same for scrutiny prior to the elections, he
said “it is never too late to do the right thing.”
He recalled that the famous
sprinter, Ben Johnson, won an Olympic gold before he was busted for doping, and
punished.
Post a Comment