***Asks Tinubu to reintroduce himself to Nigerians
****Uninformed outsiders now see every other Nigerian as a potential fraudster
The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general, Peter Obi has lamented that the identity crisis that played out in the American Court System and the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the Chicago State University credentials of Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu has worsened Nigeria’s-less-than-glorious Image.
Obi who spoke on Wednesday at a world Press confrence said the identity crises of Tinubu is robbing off negetively on other Nigerians
He said, he has been innundated with embarrassing questions over the issue whenever he travelled out of the country adding that he is very 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. “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.
“He should indicate clearly where and when he did his National Youth Service. In addition, if at any time he has had a change of name, he should clearly state so and the circumstances. That, in itself, is no crime.
“This simple task should take no more than a few minutes. It requires no a+davits, prolonged court processes, spokespersons, agents, or surrogates. This task is one that only Chief Bola Tinubu himself through a direct personal statement can perform.
“He must perform this task urgently in order to lay to rest, once and for the last time, the many lingering doubts and valid speculations about his true identity.
He said a leader cannot outsource a clear unambiguous personal statement about his identity to political surrogates, social spokespersons, lawyers, or any other persons no matter how highly placed.
“A matter of the personal identity of a leader is too sensitive and central to the functions of the office he currently occupies to be tried with, outsourced, or disguised under the cloak of officialdom.
“It is also about integrity, morality, values, and the rule of law that denies the character of the Nation and its people. In his present capacity as a leader of a nation of over 200 million Nigerians, his true identity is a matter of grave national and international interest.
According to him, the people deserve to know for a certainty the true identity of their leader and this overrides whatever rights he may have to personal privacy. “In addition, the international community deserves to know the true identity of the person with whom they will engage has implicitly undertaken to cede the rights of a private citizen in favour of a life of open disclosure of his true identity, and other circumstances that may be of public interest. His personal integrity demands no less.
“The legitimacy of the office he currently occupies demands that much and even more respect for the integrity and esteem of the Nigerian nation within the commity of nations makes it even more incumbent and compulsory.
It is time to do the right thing.
“The most respected American President Abraham Lincoln did have education but he was highly respected. In UK Churchil was not a good student in school.
“Jimmy Carter said it is about party it is not about race, what you are, where you belong or politics, if an American President is involved in perjury it is a difficult thing.
“We have a situation where we are now faced with credibility issue, values, threatening the foundation of our nation.”
He called on all those that used to speak out to come out and speak.
“In this country people questioned President Jonathan’s PhD saying his PhD in zoology is not for Presidency, where are the people now? We want them to come out now. I am pleading that this issue be attended to.
When asked about his own identity, he said, “I submitted up to my degree certificate and I attached the other ones. Quite frankly the only thing that is required is primary and secondary school certificates but I attached my university certificate.
“Like I said I went the University of Nigeria Nnsuka. If you go there today, the Present VC who is an Alumnus of the University, the two deputy Vice Chancellors are all my mated, we gain entry together and left together and I can tell you many of my mates with whom we came together and left together: Soldotna, Emefiele I can name many of them.
“If you went to Nnsukka everybody knew me and I say it without reservation if you passed through the college you will know me. At my final year I was the deputy disciplinary prefect and I am sure people know me.
“It is fundamental, that is part of building institution but we have started by having leaders who are credible. Everything starts with credibility of a leader, the character, the behavior. That is why I said this goes to the soul of our nation. It is beyond politics. It is an appeal.”
On why the issue is just comming now when the President credntials werw diaplayed by INEC for objections.
“I am not in court now, I said I don’t get involved with the issue of court and let me say it again, this is a critical issue, it doesn’t matter when the issue came up, it still remains same thing.
“Ben Johnson ran a great race and he is respected athlete but the last race he had already taken the Gold and went home when they discorverd that he tested positive to dopping. They did not say they should have done that before the race, so it doesn’t matter when. “There is no particular time to do what is right this is the time to do what is right.”