- By Halimah Olamide
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party Mr. Peter Obi on Wednesday told President Bola Tinubu that the credibility and honour of Nigeria home and abroad are at stake in the ongoing controversies over his academic records.
Peter Obi at a press conference in Abuja said Tinubu should do the right thing just as he said he has become distressed about the entire saga.
Obi, who contested against Tinubu in the February 25 poll where Tinubu emerged the winner, said it has become a burden to him having to answer barrage of questions from many.
”Having followed the prolonged identity crisis that recently played out in the American Court System and the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the Chicago State University credentials of Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I must confess that I am distressed as a Nigerian.
In addition to the barrage of media frenzy that the matter has triggered at home and abroad, I have had the unwholesome burden of responding to embarrassing questions about Nigeria’s overall credibility as a nation to privileged audiences and individuals both at home and abroad in different parts of the world where I have traveled lately.
“To outsiders, the entire Chicago State University matter as well as Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s many other lingering identity question marks has further worsened Nigeria’s less-than-glorious image internationally,” Obi said on Wednesday
Speaking further, Obi said Tinubu must come clean over his identity adding that the President’s names, schools attended and others must all be made clear.
He said every Nigerian now appears to the outside world as forgers adding that the President ought to save Nigerians the burden of such tags.
”Uninformed outsiders now see every other Nigerian as a potential fraudster, certain forger, or identity thief. The controversy is unnecessary just as the implicit global embarrassment could have been avoided.
“In my opinion, Chief Bola Tinubu should have saved the nation and himself from this protracted embarrassment and undue anxiety. Even this late in the day, however, Chief Bola Tinubu still owes the nation and the world a simple debt of obligation that only he can discharge.
I call on him to immediately and personally mount the rostrum of his present high office to perform a simple task once and for all time. He should re-introduce himself to the nation he governs and to the world for the avoidance of further doubt..
”He should let the world know his name, 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.”