Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last elections, Peter Obi, says questions on the identity of President Bola Tinubu have worsened Nigeria’s battered reputation in the international community.
Addressing a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Obi called on the president to save Nigeria and himself from what he described as “protracted embarrassment and undue anxiety” over the controversy surrounding his certificate.
The former Anambra state governor asked President Tinubu to again, tell Nigerians the schools he attended, if he participated in the one-year National Youth Service Corps scheme as well as clarify if he indeed changed his name at any time.
“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.”
Recalled also that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar had also last week held a similar press conference.
