Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, at a press conference today in Abuja said: “Today, we are called upon again as a people to uphold and defend the ground rules of elective government in our country. The constitution prescribes the requirements for those who seek the highest elective office in the land. It should not take months or, indeed, decades, for the institutions concerned to be able to do their work in establishing the credibility of any certificates presented by candidates for public office.”
He was referring to the fact that the academic record of President Bola Tinubu has taken since 1999 and a lawsuit in Chicago filed by Atiku, for any semblance of truth to come to light. Atiku continued: “We undertook this journey at great cost and for important reasons. The ground rules for legitimate governance in our country need to be upheld, and the reputation of our country is at stake. That affects everyone, Nigerians everywhere.”
Watch the presser below:
What was unravelled by the district court in Chicago, including a deposition by Chicago State University, that Tinubu alleged to have graduated from in 1979, appears to suggest that the certificate presented to the electoral commission by Tinubu could be a forgery. That’s clear grounds for disqualification under Section 137(1)(j) of the constitution: A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if he has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Atiku will now present his case to the Supreme Court, in the expectation that they will uphold the law on the basis of the facts unearthed in Chicago: “Now, we entrust these facts to us all as citizens and as leaders of the institutions charged with interpreting our constitution. I should thank the lawyers both in Nigeria and in the United States, who have assisted us in bringing clarity and definitive answers to these issues that appear to have defied our institutions for nearly a quarter of a century. I also want to extend my gratitude to Nigerian citizens and friends of Nigeria both within and beyond the shores of our country for their patience as we have sought to find the facts and establish the truth.”
He also gave shout-outs to the late lawyer and activist Gani Fawehinmi who first alerted Nigerians to identity fraud and criminality by Tinubu as far back as 1999 and investigative journalist David Hundeyin, who has put in a lot of effort in exposing the life and crimes of the current president. As Atiku put it: “I wish to pay tribute to the late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, who inspired us on this path of discovery. Now, he can truly rest in peace in the assurance that what he started about 23 years ago has come to fruition. Gani’s vindication today gives credence to the saying that no matter how fast a lie runs, the truth will someday overtake it.” He added: “commendation must be given to David Hundeyin, an independent journalist whose extraordinary work and those of many more young people like him has become a source of inspiration.”
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I appreciate the hat tip. Image may be NSFW.
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— David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) October 5, 2023
Other Nigeria truth-seekers also got a worthy mention in the speech: “Special thanks must be given to the millions of Nigerian youths and citizen journalists too who continue to put out the truth online even when no one is listening. Indeed, the price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance. They have put the country first in their firm commitment to unravel the truth and hold leaders accountable”.
George Orwell said “in times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”. That said, the truth is important to Atiku now as he sees it as a route to the presidency via a Tinubu disqualification. But let no one be deceived that he has the remotest interest in real change or accountability.
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