*Tinubu’s supporter Abubakar Usman queries Atiku’s WAEC certificate
*As Atiku dismisses the allegation as diversionary
The tango between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, over facts gathered by Atiku from the Chicago State University (CSU), confirming that Tinubu’s certificates presented before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the 2023 presidential elections were forged, took a more dangerous dimension as Tinubu and Atiku have continued to upbraid each other over claimed forgery of certificates.
Sunday, Tinubu continued in his tirade against Atiku forging his West African School Certificate (WASC) to include Sadique, when Atiku never took that name but Kojoli, as indicated in a biography of Atiku written by his former media aide, Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo.
Recall that Tinubu had equally approached the Supreme Court to make a counter claim, alleging that Atiku also filed a forged certificate before INEC.
Abubakar Sidique Usman, described as social media influencer, had raised some posers after flipping through a book authored on atiku by his late spokesman Adinoyi Onukaba-Ojo.
Usman popularly called MrAbuSidiq wrote on his X (former Twitter) handle, recently, “Atiku Abubakar didn’t identify as Sidiq Abubakar, at least up till when he entered secondary school. This very much was corroborated by his then spokesperson, late Adeniyi Onukaba Ojo(sic) in his book, “The Atiku: The story of Atiku Abubakar.”
“According to him, Atiku identified as Atiku Kojoli during his primary education at Jada Primary School and only substituted Kojoli with Abubakar to read ATIKU ABUBAKAR after gaining admission at Adamawa Provincial Secondary School in Yola.
Usman asked: “At what point did the new name “Atiku Abubakar” change to “Sidiq Abubakar” which is the name written on the WAEC certificate presented to INEC and when did “Sidiq Abubakar” change back to Atiku Abubakar, which is now his current and official name?
But responding, one of Atiku’s spokespersons, Dele Momodu, took to his X (formerly Tweeter) handle saying that Atiku has actually been making his case loud and clear that he passed his WAEC examinations and was issued certificate as Atiku Abubakar and not in any other name.
He also said his first interview by the Federal Civil Service was in the same name and not a jerrymandering of names and sex as is the case with President Tinubu.
Momodu wrote on his X handle: “The APC busybodies have been bombarding me with allegations of forgery against my Principal, ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR (GCON), which I immediately forwarded to him and here is his copious response: ‘Yes I used Sadiq Abubakar to sit for my WAEC and after passing my exams I went to swear an affidavit to say I am the same person as ATIKU Abubakar. I went to ABU as Atiku Abubakar and passed my Exams as Atiku Abubakar. Interviewed as Atiku Abubakar by the Federal Civil Service Commission and hired into the Customs Service as Atiku Abubakar. So where is forgery there?’ – ATIKU ABUBAKAR
“CAN THE APC social media bullies forward the deluge of questions in circulation to their boss and get instant and direct response… I SALUTE ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR.”
Mommodu continued: “Honest question: Who is the Sidiq Abubakar that owns the WAEC certificate presented to INEC? Is it the same Atiku Kojoli/Atiku Abubakar or someone else?
“I have read arguments that anybody who identifies as Abubakar can also identify as Sidiq. This can be very true, but if it’s not your official name, it is not your official name. My parents chose my official names as Abubakar Sidiq and that’s why I use both till date, not because I can be called any or both.
“Besides, I didn’t see anywhere Adinoyi Onukaba Ojo referred to Atiku as Sidiq in his book.
“He referred him as either Atiku Kojoli or Atiku Abubakar. If you have read the book and you saw where he was referred to as Sidiq, please tell me the page.”
Atiku’s media aide Paul Ibe weighed in this week, saying ”In the last 24 hours or thereabouts, we have seen an avalanche of trolls on social media and some sections of the mainstream media that seek to query the educational credentials of Atiku Abubakar.
“We acknowledge these inquiries as being healthy because they seek to probe the truth.
“We also notice that a lot of those who engage on the issue are supporters and aides of President Bola Tinubu”.
Since Atiku mounted the rostrum at the Shehu Yar’Adua Center to personally speak on his findings at CSU, asking Tinubu to accept and resign, Tinubu’s men have been trying to turn the table against Atiku.
The Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who also asked Tinubu to clear the doubts on posers raised on his identity, parentage and certificates, Tinubu’s team have also been fighting hard to rake up dents against Obi.
