Controversy over Tinubu’s University Degree, national disgrace—Chidoka

Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka has said that the order from a United States court directing Chicago State University to release the academic records of President Bola Tinubu to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is a national disgrace.

Reacting to the court order on his official social media pages, Chidoka said it is worrisome that the Department of States Services, National Intelligence Agency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Embassy of Nigeria with its staff in Washington DC could not unravel the circumstances surrounding the academic history of the President, leaving the task for Atiku.

The former minister also said that the leadership and relevant institutions of this country should bow their heads in shame, if eventually it was discovered the occupier of the nation’s number one office forged his certificates.

“I speak as a Nigerian. That it took the courageous activism of HE. Abubakar Atiku to force the discovery of information concerning the President of Nigeria is a disgrace to our national institutions.

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“The office of the President of Nigeria is so important both in its moral authority and its strategic importance to our national security and safety that nobody who has possible blind spots that can make him or her a potential asset for foreign intelligence or governments should be allowed a mile near that office. This should be a primary burden on all our national institutions. Legal technicalities and silence by state institutions should be deemed high treason.

“It highlights my previous statement that a constitutional amendment to finish all electoral cases before the assumption of office is now a matter of urgent national priority. The current disgraceful proceedings against a Nigerian President in a foreign court under election petition matters are damaging to our collective moral and legal standing as a people.

“A forged certificate finding leaves President Tinubu in a vulnerable position morally and legally. As he did not present primary and secondary certificates to INEC, a forged CSU certificate makes him unqualified to stand for the office of President as he does not possess the minimum qualification S.131 (D) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. Of course, the next issue is the case of perjury, the presentation of false documents under oath.

“How INEC accepted a university degree without the qualifying certificates would continue to be a national mystery. A language in our electoral legislation to forestall such obvious infractions is required.

“The decision of the District Court and the whole proceedings is not a moment of triumphalism but a sober moment of introspection. It is a moment when as a nation we ask ourselves:

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“Considering that he did not present a primary or secondary certificate should our courts be concerned with the technicality of the tendering process of the CSU certificate or the disgrace and global moral damage a forged certificate would wrought on Nigeria?

“Why did our national security system not conduct a discrete investigation and advise the candidate and INEC about the status of his certificate?

“For me, the issue is beyond legalism. If and that is a big if, the certificate is forged, President Tinubu should resign immediately. It is not a legal matter but a national honour and moral issue. If he does not, the National Assembly should do the needful to restore our dignity as a people. I also expect the Supreme Court to rise to the occasion and restore order to our electoral process.

“The bold challenge of President Tinubu by HE Abubakar Atiku in the US is the most prominent sign of state failure. It is depressing but maybe it is an inflection point to alter the character of the Nigerian state to live up to the words of the second stanza of our old national anthem.