Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has carpeted his political rival and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for submitting a forged degree certificate to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) for the purpose of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the election, while speaking at a press conference Thursday in Abuja, in the aftermath of a United States District Court decision ordering the Chicago State University (CSU) to make President Tinubu’s academic records in the university available to Atiku, also denied that he betrayed Tinubu, who was once his political ally, insisting that it was, in fact, Tinubu who betrayed him.

Recall that Tinubu’s records with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 1999 when he sought to become Governor of Lagos State showed that he attended Government College Ibadan and the University of Chicago.

Gani Fawehinmi argued in court that the claims were false but he could not proceed with the case because Tinubu enjoyed constitutional immunity as Governor of Lagos State.

Atiku said that, “in 2007, we came to form Action Congress (AC) and in Lagos I got the ticket. After I got the ticket, he (Tinubu) sent about five men to meet me. They said that Bola wanted to be my running mate,” explaining that he dismissed the request on the ground that he could not run on a Muslim-Muslim ticket. “That was the end of the political relationship, he broke away to go and support Yar’Adua.

“I vehemently deny that I stabbed him at the back and till today I don’t have to do Muslim Muslim ticket. I don’t believe that it is right. Our government should reflect our diversity,” Atiku stated.

On the allegation of Tinubu submitting a forged CSU degree certificate to INEC, Atiku said the revelations from the documents obtained from the United States had vindicated the late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi who had challenged the authenticity of Tinubu’s certificates submitted for election as Governor of Lagos State 22 years ago, stating that Chief Fawehinmi could now rest in peace “given that what he started about 22 years ago has come to fruition.”

Atiku also commended investigative journalist, David Hundeyin and millions of other young Nigerians who continued to put the truth about Tinubu on social media even when nobody was listening.

Speaking at the press conference, Atiku’s lawyer, Kalu Kalu, also called out President Tinubu, insisting that the certificate the former Lagos State Governor submitted to INEC was forged.

Besides, Kalu said that the Southwest College certificate Tinubu used to gain admission into CSU belongs to a female and that the NYSC certificate bears Adekunle.

On what exactly he discovered about Tinubu’s records, Atiku asked a lawyer to address the issues.

The lawyer, Kalu Kalu listed the issues, including;

• The Certificate Bola Tinubu submitted to INEC did not emanate from Chicago State University
• The Qualifying Certificate from South West College used by Tinubu to gain admission to CSU, bears female which clearly means it does not belong to him.
• In the CSU documents, Tinubu attended Government College Lagos and graduated in 1970. The said school came into existence only in 1974. It also means the Government College Lagos document is a forgery.
• In the CSU document, Tinubu has American citizenship. But Tinubu swore under oath in an INEC form that he does not have any citizenship other than Nigerian citizenship.
• In the CSU document, the initial ‘A’ in Tinubu’s name is Adekunle. Whereas, the ‘A’ in President Tinubu’s public record is Ahmed.

The lawyer also dismissed the claim that the evidence would not be admitted by the Supreme Court. He said in several rulings of the apex court, parties can present fresh evidence once certain conditions are met. He said the court cases in the U.S. has satisfied that requirement.