Obi: Tinubu should reintroduce himself — certificate debate has worsened Nigeria’s image

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last elections, says questions on the identity of President Bola Tinubu have worsened Nigeria’s battered reputation in the international community.

Recently, Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last elections, subpoenaed the Chicago State University (CSU) to release Tinubu’s academic records for use in the Nigerian supreme court.

Abubakar is challenging the victory of Tinubu in the February 25 election and the affirmation of Tinubu by the petition tribunal as the winner of the poll.

He had argued that there were discrepancies in the certificate Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which should have rendered him ineligible to contest the election.

Abubakar addressed a world press conference last week to say he would not stop asking questions pertaining to Tinubu’s academic records until the supreme court rules against him.

Addressing a press briefing of his own on Wednesday, Obi said the controversy over Tinubu’s academic records has made foreigners to start profiling Nigerians as “fraudsters, certificate forgers or identity thieves”.

Obi added that Tinubu owes the nation the simple task of reintroducing himself to the world. 

“The entire Chicago University matter as well as Chief Bola Tinubu’s many other lingering identity question marks has further worsened Nigeria’s less-than-glorious image internationally,” he said. 

“Uninformed outsiders now see every Nigerian as a fraudster, certificate forger or identity thief. The controversy is unnecessary.

“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. 

“He should let the world know his name, his 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 had had a change of name, he should state so clearly. That in itself is no crime.

“It does not require an affidavit, prolonged court process, spokespersons, agents or surrogates. The task is only one which Bola Tinubu himself, through a direct personal statement, can perform.

“With his present capacity as 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 with certainty the true identity of their leader and this overrides whatever right he may have to personal privacy.”

Obi polled third in the February election. He is also challenging the outcome of the vote and the tribunal’s verdict at the apex court.