Atiku Breaks Silence on Tinubu Certificate Saga, Says He Has Vindicated Gani Fawehinmi

Former Vice President and 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, spoke to the world press on Thursday at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Auditorium in Abuja. He addressed the issues that affect the future of democracy and legitimate leadership in Nigeria.

Newsflash Nigeria learnt that Atiku Abubakar had filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu, alleging that he did not meet the constitutional requirements for running for the highest office in the land. He claimed that Tinubu did not possess a valid certificate from the Chicago State University (CSU), where he claimed to have graduated in 1979.

This development has sent shockwaves across Nigeria, as many Nigerians are eager to know the truth about Tinubu’s academic background. Some have expressed doubts about Tinubu’s claim of having a degree from CSU, while others have defended him and accused Atiku of being desperate and malicious.

The certificate saga has also raised questions about the credibility and integrity of Tinubu as the leader of Nigeria. It has also cast a shadow over his achievements and policies as the president of Africa’s most populous nation.

Moreover, Atiku spoke to the world press on Thursday at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Auditorium in Abuja and said that political leadership and active citizenship are the means by which Nigerians can work together to build a country that works for everyone. He stressed that Nigeria is bigger than any individual, and its standing in the world affects the fate of all Nigerians.

He reminded the press and the public of his role in restoring democracy and civilian rule in Nigeria, after years of military dictatorship. He said that he and his generation worked hard to return the soldiers to the barracks and to defend the right of the people to elect their own government.

He said that the constitution prescribes the requirements for those who seek the highest elective office in the country and that it should not take months or decades for the institutions concerned to verify the credibility of any certificates presented by candidates for public office.

He said that he undertook this journey at great cost and for important reasons, because the ground rules for legitimate governance in Nigeria need to be upheld, and the reputation of Nigeria is at stake. He said that this affects everyone, Nigerians everywhere.

He said that he is a democrat by conviction and a citizen of a country that he loves. He said that the issues at stake in this case require Nigerians to re-dedicate themselves to the country and its constitution.

He thanked his lawyers in Nigeria and in the United States, who helped him to bring clarity and definitive answers to these issues that have been unresolved for nearly 25 years. He also expressed his gratitude to Nigerian citizens and friends of Nigeria both within and beyond the country for their patience as he sought to find the facts and establish the truth.

He paid tribute to the late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, who inspired him on this path of discovery. He said that Gani’s vindication today gives credence to the saying that no matter how fast a lie runs, the truth will someday overtake it.

He quoted former American President Thomas Jefferson, who said, “If I had to choose between government without newspapers, and newspapers without government, I wouldn’t hesitate to choose the latter”.

He praised the role of journalists in exposing scandals and revealing the dubious certificates of politicians. He said that journalists have maintained eternal vigilance by bridging the gap and stepping in when other arms of government failed.

Read the full text below:

Protocol

“Gentlemen of the Press, Fellow Citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I consider it important to address and report to you today on issues that define the future of elective government and legitimate leadership in our country.

“Political leadership and active citizenship matter because they are ways through which we all work together to build a country that works for all who live in it. Our country is bigger than any of us, and its standing in the world affects the fate of all who come from or live in it. As leaders, it is our duty to advance the well-being of all our people and of the country.

“For this purpose, my generation worked hard to return the soldiers to the barracks and to defend the right of the people to elect and establish for ourselves a legitimate government. Our elections are established and governed by law and founded on the constitution from which leadership and government in Nigeria alone derive their legitimacy.

“The people look up to us as leaders to respect these rules and, where necessary, to defend them. This is what brings us here.

“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.

“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.

“I am a democrat by conviction and a citizen of a country that I love. The issues at stake in this case require us once more to re-dedicate ourselves to both the country and our constitution.

“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.

“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.

“Former American President Thomas Jefferson once said, “If I had to choose between government without newspapers, and newspapers without government, I wouldn’t hesitate to choose the latter”. From exposing the Watergate scandal and unravelling the dubious certificates of politicians, journalists have maintained eternal vigilance by bridging the gap and stepping in when other arms of government failed.

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