The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has told the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that unlike him, he has consistently contested presidential elections because of his “drug-free record and no any identity scandals”
Also, Atiku said that he “has never had any controversy surrounding his age, circumstances of his birth, state of origin, gender, educational qualification, health status, working career and citizenship, all issues bordering on constitutional qualification to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Mr Atiku stated this in his reply to Tinubu’s Notice of Preliminary Objection against his petition challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election. In his Notice of Preliminary Objection filed on April 12, by his lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the President-elect had urged the court to dismiss the petition filed by Atiku and his party the PDP, for been vague, an abuse of court process, that the suit was not properly constituted and that the reliefs sought by the petitioners are not grant-able.
But replying, Atiku said Tinubu has demonstrated inconsistency as to his actual date of birth, the secondary schools he attended (Government College Ibadan); his state of origin, gender; actual name; certificates evidencing universities attended (Chicago State University).
“The purported degree certificate of the 2nd respondent allegedly acquired at the Chicago State University did not belong to him but to a female (F) described as ‘F’ in the certificate bearing the name Bola Tinubu.
“The 2nd respondent did not disclose to the 1st respondent his voluntary acquisition of citizenship of Republic of Guinea with Guinean Passport No. DO00001551, in addition to his Nigerian citizenship. The 2nd respondent is hereby given notice to produce the original copies of his said two passports,” he said.
Atiku further submitted that Tinubu has record of criminal forfeiture of the sum of $460,000.00 for a drug-related offence before the United States District Judge John A Nordberg in the 2 respondent’s First Heritage Account No. 263226700, being proceeds of narcotics-trafficking in violation of 18 U.S.C 1956 and 1947 for an offence involving narcotics.
