The ongoing certificate controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu and the 2023 presidential elections has taken a new turn as Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, submits fresh evidence to the Supreme Court. Atiku alleges that President Tinubu committed forgery and perjury by submitting a fraudulent academic certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to qualify for the election.
The evidence submitted by Atiku includes academic records obtained from Chicago State University (CSU) in the United States, following a court order from Illinois. Atiku had sought these documents to support his claim that President Tinubu forged a certificate he purportedly received from CSU in 1979.
Chris Uche, Atiku’s lead counsel, confirmed that the new evidence had been filed with the Supreme Court. This evidence supplements the 35 grounds initially filed by Atiku’s legal team. The allegations primarily revolve around claims of forgery and perjury concerning President Tinubu’s academic records and the certificate he submitted to INEC.
In response to these allegations, an aide to President Tinubu, Tunde Rahman, characterized Atiku’s actions as a desperate attempt to discredit the President, driven by his overwhelming ambition to attain the highest office in the country. Rahman disputed the allegations and emphasized President Tinubu’s academic achievements at CSU.
Yekini Nabena, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), mocked Atiku, urging him to focus on preparing for the 2027 presidential election rather than prolonging the controversy over President Tinubu’s certificate.
Meanwhile, the United Action Front of Civil Society demanded an apology from President Tinubu and called for his resignation in light of the alleged forgery and perjury. They argued that such actions undermined Nigeria’s integrity and called on the National Assembly to initiate an impeachment process if President Tinubu failed to apologize and resign.
On the other hand, the National Coalition for Democracy Renewal Group criticized the call for President Tinubu’s resignation, describing it as unpatriotic and driven by the bitterness of electoral defeat.
The certificate saga continues to dominate headlines, with both sides presenting their arguments and evidence as the legal battle unfolds.
