The controversy surrounding the academic credentials and identity of President Bola Tinubu is negatively impacting Nigeria’s international reputation, according to Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last election.
Addressing a press briefing, Obi, who came in third in the presidential contest and is also challenging the election outcome in the Supreme Court, expressed concern that the questions surrounding Tinubu’s identity have led to profiling Nigerians as “fraudsters, certificate forgers, or identity thieves” by the international community.
Obi emphasized that Tinubu should fulfill his “simple obligation” to reintroduce himself to the world, considering his role as the President of Nigeria.
“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,” Obi stated.
He continued, “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.”
Peter Obi suggested that Tinubu should provide clarity regarding his name, nationality, place of birth, parentage, primary and secondary schools attended with dates, and the universities he attended with certificates obtained.
He also recommended that Tinubu should clearly state when and where he completed his national youth service and indicate if he ever changed his name, clarifying that this wouldn’t be a crime.
The former presidential candidate underlined that Nigerians, as well as the international community, have a right to know the true identity of their leader, and this request should override any right to personal privacy.
